


Freedom of the Press

by kylar



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Anal Sex, College!AU, Daddy Kink, Eventual Smut, Excessive use of the word fuck, Homophobia, Levi has a foul mouth, Levi is kinky, Light Bondage, M/M, Not sexually, Oral Sex, Pet Play, Playboy!Levi, Porn With Plot, Soccer, Switching, artist!Eren, but so does Eren, celebrity!Levi, eren is a dork, ereri, gay slurs, modern day AU, mostly Eren POV, occasional Levi POV, occasional random POVs, paparazzi!Eren, sick!Eren, slow build emotionally, so much porn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-03-09 19:39:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 39
Words: 181,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3261971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kylar/pseuds/kylar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren is just an ordinary college student, wondering how long he can put off his art projects and if it's possible to live off of only ramen and mac 'n cheese. Oh, and if his medical alert bracelet is really necessary, because honestly, it shouldn't be. His part time jobs as a barista and a photographer for a major newspaper help pay the bills, but when he gets assigned the task of photographing the upcoming professional soccer match, he can't believe his luck. He has been given permission to legally stalk his idol, center forward for the Scouts, Levi Ackerman!</p><p>Levi Ackerman is a famous soccer player, and the object of millions of girls' and guys' wet dreams. For Levi, the life of a celebrity is nothing to complain about. He can walk into any bar and leave with his choice of men to take home. And with a sexual appetite that can rival that of a porn star, this is a benefit of stardom he takes full advantage of. The only problem is, it's hard to keep secrets when constantly under a spotlight. What the world doesn't know is that he's gay, and he's determined to keep it that way. Levi struggles to keep his deep, dark secret out of the public knowledge, but a certain green-eyed brat is making that exceptionally difficult.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. College Student has Unlikely Encounter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the first chapter of a new fic I'm working on. Honestly this one is driving me crazy. I thought I was ready to start posting this, but then the other day I changed literally everything from the third chapter up to what I have so far. So I'm going to post this first chapter as kind of an experiment to see how you guys like it. The first few updates might be slow as I continue to take a chainsaw to this work, but if I get some decent feedback and you guys seem to like it, then I'll keep posting. Because honestly I am in love with this concept (and the fact that it's not incredibly angsty like my other works), I'm just having the hardest time writing it. The ideas are all there, they just won't make their way onto paper the way I want them to.
> 
> Anyways, enough rambling for now. Here's the first chapter. Tell me what you guys think, either here in the comments or feel free to message me on Tumblr. Feedback will be immensely appreciated! Plot ideas, questions, observations, constructive criticism... I want all of it! Especially since this is an experimental chapter.

**Eren**

"Eren!  Get your art shit off the kitchen table!"

I cringe at Mikasa's sharp tone.  I wasn't expecting her home so soon.  Usually I have another hour to clear up my things.  With a sigh, I push up off my bed and pad barefoot into the front room that doubles as a living room and a dining room.  In the front half of the room is a flat screen perched on top of a small entertainment system housing our hundreds of DVDs and our gaming systems, all surrounded by a horseshoe of two short couches and a reclining chair.  The back half of the room is where the rectangular dining table sits, surrounded by its six mismatching chairs.  A pile of brushes, pencils, papers, canvas, erasers, and paints sits haphazardly on one half of the table.  I don't know why she always complains.  There's only three of us in this apartment.  Why does she need the _whole_ table?

In the small kitchen, separated from the front room by a long bar, Mikasa bustles about, pulling out ingredients for dinner.  I wonder what she's making, and if I can steal some of it.  I don't feel like cooking.  But when do I ever feel like cooking anything more complicated than ramen?  I grumble as I carelessly scoop everything into my arms and carry it into the bedroom I share with Armin.  I'm wearing my painting shirt anyway, so who cares if I get charcoal or paint on it?

"How's your project going?" I hear Mikasa call from the kitchen.

I dump everything on my large desk, then head back out into the front room.  I plop myself down on one of the bar stools, leaning my elbows on the smooth laminate countertop as I watch her move around the small kitchen.

"Eh.  It's going," I say, answering her question.

"Have you even started it yet?" she asks, raising an eyebrow at me.  Oh she knows me so well.

"Of course I haven't," I reply with a snort.  She should know better than to ask silly questions like that.

"And when is it due?" she presses.

"Friday," I reply casually, as if that weren't two days from now.

She sighs and just shakes her head.  This is our fifth semester at Trost University.  She's used to my incessant procrastinating.  But hey, in my defense I think I do some of my best work under pressure.  And what better pressure is there than having to complete an entire project hours before it's due?

"Where's Armin?" I ask her, looking around the small apartment, as if I could've somehow walked right passed him.

"He called to tell me he'd be at the hospital late tonight.  He said something about getting to sit in on a surgery," she replies.

I nod.  This isn't super uncommon.  Armin is a med student, and is completing his residency at Trost General Hospital.  His hours are often irregular and long.  I watch as Mikasa dumps a pound of hamburger into a frying pan.

"What are you making?  And more importantly, can I have some?  Honestly I don't even care what it is, I just want some."

She laughs.  She actually laughs at me.  "What?  You don't feel like eating macaroni and cheese for the third time this week?"

"Hey now, don't hate on mac 'n cheese.  It's good.  And cheap."

She rolls her eyes at me and agrees to let me mooch off her dinner.  Just then, my phone rings in my pocket and I hurry to fish it out.  I see my boss's name flashing across the screen.  Heh, boss....  He's my age, and he was a friend before he became my boss, so it's weird to think of him that way.  Mouthing the words to my ringtone, I hit 'accept' on the screen.  I hope he's not calling with a new job.  I really shouldn't be taking one right now.  You know, because of that art project I haven't started yet that's due in two days.

"Yellow," I answer, in the way that I always do, because saying 'hello' like a normal person is boring.  Who wants to be normal?  Nobody, that's who.

 _"Hi Eren!"_   God why is Marco always so happy?  And why am I so annoyed?  _"One of my photographers got sick this morning, and he won't be able to complete his assignment tomorrow night.  I was hoping you could fill in for him."_

"Tomorrow night?  I have a project I need to work on..." I say, starting to give him my excuse, but then stop myself.  Tomorrow night?  Could it be...?  "Which assignment is it?"

_"I know you've never done sports before, but it's for the Scouts ma-"_

"I'll take it!" I shout, jumping to my feet.  Mikasa startles, nearly dropping her spoon.  She shoots me a glare and I just shrug with an innocent smile.

I've always been a huge fan of the Scouts soccer team, and when I first took the job as a photographer for Trost Daily, I had been hoping for the opportunity to get to photograph one of their matches.  Finally, that day is here!

_"Perfect!  Okay, so the article is celebrating one of their players.  It's his one hundredth match, so we'll mostly need photographs of him.  It's-"_

"Ackerman?!"  If my voice goes up any further, I could try out for soprano for Trost University's choir.

Marco laughs.  _"Yes, that's the guy.  Center forward, Levi Ackerman.  Come by the office before the match tomorrow and I'll get you your sideline pass."_

"Ohmygod thank you!" I say, my words mashing together in my excitement.  Mikasa looks over her shoulder at me with a raised eyebrow, and I know I have a shit-eating grin on my face, but right now I really don't care.  "I'll see you tomorrow."

Marco laughs again.  _"See you tomorrow, Eren."_

I hang up and clench my phone in my fist as I punch the air, doing my happy dance around the apartment.  Sideline passes?  And permission to stalk and photograph my idol, Levi Ackerman?  I can't even begin to describe my level of excitement.  An entire year taking stupid assignments for stupid articles has finally paid off.

"Eren," Mikasa's warning tone cuts through my giddiness.  "You have an art project due Friday morning that you haven't even started yet.  Are you sure taking a job tomorrow night is a good idea?"

"I _have_ to take it, Mikasa!  It's the Scouts match!  And the article will be featuring Ackerman.  I'll finish the project tonight," I tell her, hurrying back towards my room.  "I promise!"

...

God I hate school so much.  Why are college courses so _slow_?  Maybe if I fall asleep it'll go by quicker.  It's just a stupid general education course.  Who needs to pay attention in Calculus anyway?  I mean, this shit is so easy.  The squigglies are for... and the weird Greek 'E' thing does... and the thing my professor calls a 'derivative' works like....  Well since I'm going to fail this class anyway, I might as well sleep.  What the hell do I need math for anyway?  I'm an art major.

Professor Shadis dismisses the class and I could cry in relief.  I shove my notebook in my backpack and sling it over my shoulder with the strap for my camera bag before practically sprinting from the classroom.  I pull my keys from my pocket as I exit the building, separating the key to my bike lock.

I take off down the crowded sidewalks, calling for people to get the fuck out of my way!  Not really, but I want to.  Once I leave the busy campus, the sidewalks clear up and I race towards the office of Trost Daily.  I could burst from excitement.  As I wait at a stoplight for my signal to cross, I peer at my watch for the hundredth time today.  Five o'clock.  I should get to the office a couple blocks down by five thirty, and then I can head straight for the stadium, which is a few miles away.  I should be able to get there by six thirty, and the match starts at seven.  Perfect.

I feel a dull pain growing in my knee, and look down to see a bruise starting to grow just above my kneecap.  Damn.  Why now?  Oh well, it doesn't matter.  I'll be fine.  I have my regular doctor's appointment scheduled for tomorrow after my classes, so I'll let the doctor deal with that then.

I was born with some stupid genetic disease that does something to my blood.  Hemo... phobia?  No, hemo... hemo-something.  Hemophilia!  That's it.  Well, whatever it is, it sucks.  I guess my blood doesn't clot like it does for normal people.  All I know is that I have to check in with a doctor once every two weeks and hope I don't need a transfusion, I have to take my medication, and most importantly I have to be careful.  Cuts and bruises are no bueno for me.

I always hated it as a kid because it kept me from doing fun things with the other kids.  I have been in and out of hospitals my whole life, but it was worse when I was younger and didn't fully understand what was wrong with me.  I always promised my mom that I'd beat it, that I'd get better so I could play like a normal kid.  But as I got older I realized that it was incurable.  That doesn't stop me now, though.  Sure I have to be cautious, but so what?  I won't let this stupid thing hold me back.  I never tell anyone about my condition anymore, because as soon as I do they start treating me like a fragile flower that could break at any moment.  Or worse, they treat me like a leper that needs to be avoided, as if this disease is something that they can catch.  So nobody except for my parents, Mikasa, and Armin know, and I'm going to keep it that way.  It's easy enough to brush off my numerous bruises as accidents with the explanation that I just bruise easily.  Although, I think my drawing professor, Professor Hannes, thinks someone is abusing me....

The signal switches from the red hand that's missing its pinky and the top of its ring finger to the white walking man that's missing an arm and its head.  Poor man.  Good thing he doesn't have hemophilia too.  That could be a problem.

When I get to the office, I hastily lock up my bike in the small bike rack around back and hurry into the office.  I race through the halls, almost knocking Jean over.  His tall stack of newspapers wobbles, but doesn't fall.

"Jaeger, you idiot!  Watch where you're fucking going," he curses at me, continuing down the hall.

Stupid horse face.  I don't know what Marco sees in that blockhead.  Speaking of Marco....

"Oh good, there you are," he says, a huge smile pulling at his cheeky, freckly face.  He's always smiling though, so I'm used to it. 

"Here I am!" I agree, still huffing from racing my bike all the way here from campus.  And I still have a long way to go to get to the stadium.  Jell-o legs and respiratory failure here I come!

"You're even dressed for the match," he observes.

I'm confused by  Marco's observation for a moment, and then I remember, looking down at my shirt.  It's a Scouts jersey.  In fact, it's an Ackerman jersey.  I laugh with a nod.  "You bet I am!"

Marco hands me a large, bright orange card attached to a thin blue lanyard.  "Keep that around your neck, and just flash it to the security guards near the west entrance.  Someone will point you in the right direction and tell you the rules."

I nod, only half listening as I look over the card that reads 'Sideline Access. Trost Daily. Photographer'.  I excitedly pull it on over my head, then turn to head back out the door, Marco's laughter fading away behind me.  Jumping back on my bike with my trademark shit-eating grin plastered to my face, I hurriedly pedal in the direction of the stadium.  My doctor should be proud of me.  She's been hounding me to get more exercise, saying that it'll help with my condition.  Here you go, Doctor Zoe!  Is this enough exercise for you?

When I reach the stadium, I'm huffing and puffing hard enough to put the big bad wolf to shame.  I find a bike rack and quickly secure my bike before hunting for the west entrance.  My heart is racing, and it's not from the long ride over here.  It's because I've never actually been to a Scouts match before, and I'm more excited than I can even begin to describe.  I'm a broke college student.  I don't have money for these kind of things.  But I've watched all of the matches on TV.  Now I finally get to see one live.  And from the sidelines!  And I get to stalk my idol and take hundreds- no, thousands!- of pictures of him.  It's a dream come true.  No, really, it is.  I mean that literally.  I've had more than one dream where I got to photograph Levi Ackerman during a match.

I find the west entrance and show them my pass.  They read it quickly and look through both my backpack and my camera bag before letting me through, telling me that I am assigned to the northwest corner of the field, and that I can't pass the goal box.  I nod and hurry into the stadium, getting my camera out as I walk.  Hopefully Levi will be up near this goal a lot.  At least, he should be during one half of the match, hopefully scoring goals.  Wouldn't that be cool if I got a picture of a goal scoring kick?  God I'm so excited!

When I enter the stadium, I look around in awe.  I immediately bring the view finder to my eye, fiddling with the focus and shutter as I snap pictures of everything.  This is my personal camera, so I can take pictures of whatever I want.  And I do.  I take pictures of the stadium, of the fans, of the vendors, of everything.  After a few minutes, I turn my camera to the field and lower it from my face.  I see two colors running around on the grass.  I immediately recognize the deep green as that of the Scouts.  The other team is wearing bright red jerseys.  I think it's the Garrison.  The Scouts are practicing on my half of the field, and I scan the numbers on the back of their jerseys.  I soon see him, and my heart feels like it's trying to commit suicide by slamming itself against my ribcage.

He's standing near the sidelines, talking with a tall blonde man wearing a green collared shirt.  I recognize him as the head coach.  Erwin Smith is his name, I think?  I quickly raise my camera to take a picture.  Jeez, is Erwin really that tall?  Or is Levi just shorter than his stats say he is?  His stats say he's five foot six.  That can't be true.  Even though he's standing a dozen or so yards from me, I can tell he's _not_ the same height as me.  He's most definitely shorter than me.  I stare at the man so long that I'm afraid he'll notice, but I can't tear my eyes away from him.  I've seen him hundreds of times on television, but now I'm seeing him in person, and he's not even that far away from me!

I lift my camera again and zoom way in, practically zooming up the forward's nose.  I snap a dozen pictures, then pull the camera back to look at them on the screen.  I've never seen such clear images of his face.  The closest I've ever gotten are magazine images of him in advertisements, but we all know that those are edited.  But jeez, not that they need to edit his face.  I stare at the image on my screen, marveling at the sheer perfection of it.  His skin looks so smooth, his cheekbones high, and his jaw line strong.  His undercut is perfectly shaved and half concealed by the fall of his black hair.  His eyebrows and lips are drawn down in what seem to be a natural frown.  But what stands out the most are his eyes.  On TV the shots never get close enough to see the color of his eyes, and in magazines they are always a gorgeous, glowing blue.  But as I stare at the undoctored image on my screen, I notice that his eyes aren't blue at all.  Sure, they have a bluish tinge to them, but they're really grey.  And I find that I like this color on him so much more than the edited blue I've always seen in magazines.  It just... fits him better.

I look back up to see that he and the coach are gone.  I see Smith walking back to the sidelines a couple dozen feet down from me, and I catch sight of Levi's number, twenty-three, jogging back towards the rest of his team out on the field.  Number four passes him a ball and I quickly raise my camera to snap a few pictures of his fancy footwork before he passes it on to number twenty-eight.  I try to think of who all the numbers belong to.  Well number four was Eld Jinn.  He's the right winger.  And number twenty-eight is the left winger, Farlan Church.  I see number fifteen, Schultz, running up to steal the ball from number ten, Bozado.  Gunther Shultz is the left inside forward and Bozado is the right inside forward.  What's his first name again?  Oluo?  Auruo?  Alublahblah.  I have no idea.  I've heard them say it on TV so many times before but like hell if I can remember how to pronounce it.  The three halfbacks are number fourteen Ian Dietrich in the center, number nine Mitabi Jarnach on the right, and number seven Moblit Berner on the left.  The two fullbacks are number eleven Dita Ness on the right and number twenty Luke Siss on the left.  And finally, the goalkeeper is number nineteen, Mike Zacharias.

I focus back on Levi, taking a few more pictures as he takes a shot at Zacharias in the net.  The ball curves, sailing over even Zacharias' tall reach and into the net.  I start to cheer before I remember that they're only practicing.  I feel eyes on me and I look to my right to see a few other photographers and sideline staff staring at me.  I just chuckle nervously with a shrug, then turn back to my camera, my cheeks slightly red.  So what if I cheered?  That was a good goal.

After a little while, the players all leave the field to get ready for the start of the match.  I take a few pictures of the Scouts' huddle on my side of the soccer field.  When both teams file back onto the field, it's followed by a young girl who sings the national anthem.  Then, the two captains of each team head to the middle of the field for the coin toss.  Ackerman and Zacharias meet with two players from the Garrison, and I catch a few photos of them shaking hands.

I get more and more excited as the ref flips a coin and the players take their positions on the field.  The Scouts are starting with the ball on the far side of the field from me.  Good, that means Levi will be up on my end of the field mostly.  At least, for the first half he will.

When the ref blows the whistle to start the match, I watch with wide, excited eyes as Ackerman, Church, and Jinn pass the ball up the field, followed closely by Schultz and Bozado.  Jinn almost loses the ball to one of the Garrison players, and I cheer loudly when he manages to pass it back to Bozado.  Oh shit, I'm supposed to be taking pictures.  I lift my camera and watch the match through the view finder as the Scouts make their way towards my end of the field.

A Garrison fullback intercepts a kick from Church to Ackerman and I boo loudly, ignoring the photographers within earshot that stare at me.  Just because these shutterbugs are only here for their job and hate sports and all forms of entertainment doesn't mean I can't enjoy the match.  I actually _like_ the sport and team I'm here to photograph.  So suck my-

The crowd erupts in boos, and I look up to see one of our fullbacks sprawled out on the ground down the field with one of the Garrison forwards.  It looks like Ness.  I missed what happened, but it seems like it was a foul by the Garrison player, if the crowd is anything to go by.  And sure enough, the ref picks up the ball and awards the Scouts with the kick.  He places the ball at the site of the penalty, and Ness uses a powerful kick to launch the ball down the field.  I get my camera ready as Levi takes off down the field, looking back over his shoulder as the ball comes sailing towards him.  I catch sight of the Garrison fullback charging towards him and my breath catches as Ackerman leaps into the air.  Damn, that shorty can jump.  He gets his head on the ball before the Garrison fullback can, and sends it flying towards Eld.  I hold my finger on the shutter, catching dozens of photos of his leap, and his fall back to the ground, tangled in the limbs of the fullback.

Ackerman isn't even fazed in the slightest as he gets back to his feet and races forward to continue the play.  The fullback rolls around on the ground for a few seconds before realizing that the refs aren't going to call it and gets to his feet to do his job and defend the goal.

The match continues as it started.  The ball goes back and forth, but can't seem to find a net.  Levi gets a few attempts on goal, but is blocked each time.  On more than one occasion I forget that I'm here to take pictures.  It's not like I don't have plenty, but this is my job, so I have to keep snapping away.

With only two minutes left in the half, the Scouts get the ball back and come charging down the field.  I watch through my camera as one of the Scouts halfbacks, it looks like Dietrich, launches the ball down the field.  I watch as Ackerman chases after it.  My breath catches in anticipation.  Hurry!  It's about to go out of bounds!  Ackerman is looking over his shoulder as he sprints after the ball.  He's getting closer and bigger and closer and-

Shit.  I lower the camera just as Levi makes a leap for the ball, trying to get to it before it crosses the line.  He misses the ball, but he doesn't miss me as he lands and stumbles forward.  We both fall to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

"Fuck," the most beautiful, velvety voice I've ever heard in all of my short existence breathes in my ear.

Oh my GOD!  _Levi Ackerman_ is laying on top of me!  Holy fuck!  I can't breathe.  I can't breathe.  I don't even care if I cut myself in the fall and will have to rush to the hospital to get a transfusion.  Levi Ackerman is ON TOP OF ME!  Woah that actually sounds really dirty....  Not that I'm complaining or anything, if you know what I mean.

He struggles to get back to his feet as two of his teammates, Church and Schultz, run over to help him up.  Levi stands, and grabs my sleeve as he does, pulling me to my own feet.  I knew it!  He is shorter than me.  He can't be taller than five foot three.  What a little shorty.

"Sorry-" I start to apologize.

"Next time," Levi says, cutting me off as he turns back towards the field, "get out of my fucking way."

I stare after him wide eyed as he jogs back out onto the field.  Holy shit I swear his glare has the power to kill, and it almost killed me.  But in a completely different way than I think he was intending.  Jesus Christ if my heart beats any faster than it is now I'm going to have a heart attack.  I think most people would be turned off to their idol if said idol talked to them like that.  But not me.  For some reason, that glare coming through those gorgeous eyes and that velvety voice do very funny things to my insides.  Oh damn.  Don't tell me my obsession with an idol is turning into something else.

As the match continues, I reach down to pick up my camera.  I check the precious piece of equipment before I check myself.  I breathe a sigh of relief.  The camera still works.  With that determined, I look myself over to see that I'm not bleeding anywhere.  Good.  I'm going to be as bruised as a three week old banana tomorrow morning, but that was _so_ worth it.  I get to brag that I got tackled by Levi fucking Ackerman.

With a smug smile on my face, I continue to take pictures of the match.  Once the half ends, the score zip to nada, I don't get many more good shots.  Levi is now on the other end of the field.  I manage to get a few more, including his attempt on the goal that sails just past the goalkeeper's extended fingers.  I cheer with the rest of the stadium.  One Scouts, zilch Garrison.  And that's how the match ends.

It's dark now, but one wouldn't notice inside the brightly lit stadium.  As the crowd clears out, I hang around on the sidelines, eventually sneaking my way over to the short fences that funnel the players down into the locker rooms.  I wait by them as both teams hurry off the field.  I snap a few pictures of the Scouts and Garrison players walking together, talking together, and acting as friends rather than rivals.

After the trickle of players ends, I realize that I didn't see Levi.  Looking back towards the field, I see him over near the center of the field with the head coach.  He and Smith are talking as they walk towards the locker room, Levi wiping at his forehead with a towel.  Two security guards are trailing behind them, now that the stands are clearing out.  I watch the two of them, taking a few pictures as they approach the fence funnels.

"Hey, Ackerman!"

My eyes widen, and I look around.  Did I just say that?  N-No!  I didn't mean to call out to him!  Fuck, he's going to think I'm the press, or something, and he's going to hate me!  He already does, right?  I got in his way.  He tackled me to the ground a little over an hour ago.

But Levi and Erwin Smith are looking directly at me, so I must've been the bonehead that called out to him.  I stutter though, not sure what else to say.  What was the point of that, you dweeb?!  I call out to him, and now I can't think of a single thing to say?  Great, now he hates you _and_ he thinks you're a moron.

"Ackerman isn't making any statements right now," Smith says, urging Levi forward.

"Wait!  I-I'm not the press," I quickly tell them, holding up my obnoxiously orange sideline pass.  "I'm just a photographer."

"I'm not going to fucking pose for you, if that's what you want," Levi retorts.  Damn, mister sassypants.

"N-No.  That's not....  I just....  Could I get an autograph?" I finally manage to force out.  Jesus, has anyone seen my confidence?  You know, the one that allowed me to give a ten minute presentation on the anatomy of a fish without having prepared for it in the slightest?  The one that, coupled with my loud mouth, usually gets me into shitty situations, like calling out to my idol without knowing what the hell I'm going to say to him?

Levi sighs and nods, walking over to me.  "I guess I owe it to the brat," he says to Smith.  "I did take his scrawny ass out at the end of the first half."

My cheeks burn bright red, embarrassing me further.  What's wrong with me?!  I never blush.  At anything.  What is this man doing to me?

"Do you have a marker?" he asks.

"U-uh...."  I start patting my pockets down, and my embarrassment only grows as I don't find one.  I already know I don't have one, but that doesn't keep me from groping myself trying to find one.  I don't even have one in my backpack.  I'm an art major!  Why don't I have a freaking pen?!

"Fucking shit, does anyone have a marker?" Levi asks, turning to the three men behind him.  Erwin just shrugs, but one of the security guards pulls one out of his breast pocket.  Levi takes it, uncapping it, then turns back to me.  "Turn around."

I quickly comply, pulling off my backpack to expose the number twenty-three and the name Ackerman written across my jersey.  His hand presses against my back and my heart explodes in my chest.  Jeez, calm down before you have a heart attack and embarrass yourself even more.

"Bend over," he says, and fuck did I just imagine his tone lower a little?  Oh fuck my insides are tingling, and so is my dick.  Well fuck me sideways....

I lean over a little, my cheeks on fire as he begins to scribble across my back.  When he finishes, his hand leaving my back, I straighten again and turn back to face him.  He's putting the cap back on the marker and tossing it to the security guard.  The four of them head back towards the tunnel without another word.

"Uhm, thank you!" I call after him.

"No problem, brat," he says, waving a hand over his shoulder.

I know I have a shit-eating grin on my face, but I can't help it.  At least I'm not embarrassed any more.  I pull my backpack back on and tuck my camera back into its bag, heading for the exit.  Today was a very good day.  Well, after my lesson on the importance of squigglies, that is.  I got to go to my first ever Scouts match, got to watch from the sidelines, got tackled by my idol, and the same idol autographed my jersey.  He also said something sexual to me.  Well, I know he probably didn't mean it like that....  Fuck it, yes he did!  He totally said something sexual to me.  No one is going to believe me when I tell it like that, but I don't really give a damn.

When I get back to the apartment, Mikasa and Armin are already in bed.  The match took longer than I thought it would, and it took me forever to bike home in the dark.  I quietly enter the bedroom, trying not to wake Armin sleeping on the other side.  I sit at my desk and boot up my laptop.  I need to get these pictures to Marco soon so that he can get the newspapers for tomorrow printed.  Pulling the memory card from my camera, I pop it into my laptop and bring up the images.  I sort through them, attaching a few good ones to an email.  I try to get through them quickly, and not linger.

Once I pull all of the ones suited for the article, I send it off to Marco.  I'm about to shut down my computer, but I hesitate, my mouse hovering over one of the first pictures I took of Levi.  I click on it, and his face fills my computer screen.  Well, this definitely beats my tiny camera screen.  It's one of the ones I took while he was on the sidelines before the match, one of the ones where I zoomed way in on his face.  I don't know how long I stare at Ackerman's face like a love struck schoolgirl, but I eventually shut down my computer and shrug out of my clothes.  I remember the autograph on the back of my jersey and I take it out into the front room where I can turn on a light without waking anybody.

His signature is surprisingly neat, considering he wrote it with a marker, on a jersey, while it was on my back.  He wrote it up the stem of the '2'.  I smile, and even blush a little as I remember that awkward encounter.  And that comment.  That beautifully sexual comment....  Well if anything, I know without a doubt that I am _definitely_ gay.

Taking the jersey back to my room, I fold it nicely and set it aside before crawling under the covers and closing my eyes.  I try to fall asleep, but a pair of dark, brooding grey eyes keeps me awake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What do you guys think so far? This will mostly be an Eren POV fic, but there are a few chapters where I feel like Levi's thoughts need to be heard, so there will be occasional Levi bits. It won't be for another few chapters though.
> 
> Anywho, let me know what you think guys, on here or on [Tumblr](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/)


	2. Trost Scouts Dominate Opponent Five Million to One!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow guys! I'm so happy with the amount of comments, kudos, and such this fic got! You guys got me really pumped up and excited to continue with this fic. So continue I shall :3 Thank you to everyone that left their feedback. I can't even begin to describe how happy it made me to read all the comments, here and on Tumblr. You are so sweet and I love you all!
> 
> So this chapter is kind of slow, and I'll apologize up front for that. This chapter is really just character building for Eren, showing what his daily life is like. Unfortunately, no Levi appearances in this one (unless appearances on television count X3). Also, a few of you commented saying that the first chapter seemed a little rushed. Unfortunately, the first couple of chapters will probably feel that way (I tried so hard to fix that, I swear, but I failed miserably). There will be some time jumps and some fast forwarding, because honestly, how does one create a positive relationship between the press and a celebrity quickly? One doesn't. So please bear with me as I try my best to progress this story into ereri-ville X3
> 
> Okay I'll stop rambling now. ON WITH THE FIC.

**Eren**

"Coffee..." I mumble, stumbling out into the front room.  "Coffeeee."

"Calm down, I'm making it right now," Armin replies, then turns to look at me.  His eyes fly wide open and he actually gasps.  "Oh my god what happened to you?!"

"Don't ask me questions until I've had coffee," I grumble in reply, flopping down face first onto the couch.

"I'm serious, Eren!" Armin says, and I feel his hands on my arms, rolling me over.  "This isn't normal bruising from your hemophilia.  You look like you got hit by a bus!"

"A really hot bus."

Good god someone get me a cup of coffee right now.  I need to wake up before I say anything else that stupid.

"We need to get you to the hospital, Eren," Armin urges.

I sit up with a loud exhale.  "No, we don't," I retort.  "I'm fine, Armin.  I'm not bleeding.  Besides, I have my appointment after my classes today anyway.  I will be going to the hospital, just later.  Now can I _please_ have some coffee?"

Armin sighs and heads towards the kitchen to pour me a mug of coffee.  He pours a delicious amount of creamer in it and brings it back over to me.  I take it gratefully and hum as I take a sip of the steaming liquid, my eyes closing in pure bliss.  The familiar rattle of a pill bottle in front of my face has me opening my eyes again, and I glare up at Armin who is standing in front of me with a hand on his hip.  Yes, I'll take my pills, Mother Armin.

I take the pill bottle and pop a pill into my mouth, downing it with a sip of coffee.  Armin takes the pill bottle and returns it back to its spot at the end of the bar, right next to the small bowl we keep our keys in.  That's a trick my father used to remember to give me my pills as a child.  Every morning, when he left for work, he'd reach for his keys and see my pill bottle and it would remind him to give me my daily pill.  You'd think as a doctor and as my primary physician, he wouldn't need tricks to remember to give me my pills, but he did.  And I guess it's a good thing he used tricks, because now that I don't live with him, I use those tricks myself and never forget.

Armin moves around the kitchen, preparing breakfast while also scanning a textbook laying open on the bar.  I stand from the couch and take a seat on one of the bar stools, still cradling my drink from the gods.

"Have a test today?" I ask him.

He nods, pausing from his studying to flip the pancake on the frying pan.  "Neuroscience.  I should've studied much more than I have.  I don't think I'm going to do well."

"Armin, not do well on a test?  That's impossible," I snort.

"So Mikasa said you went to the Scouts match last night?" Armin says, changing the subject.  His cheeks are red, and it makes me laugh.  He never knows how to handle praise, and I think it's adorable.

"Yeah!" I reply, remembering that I haven't seen him at all since Marco called me two nights ago.  Armin didn't get back from the hospital that night until after I was in bed, and Thursday mornings I have an early class, so I was out of the apartment before he woke up.  And then I went straight to the stadium after school.  "I got an assignment to photograph Ackerman for his one hundredth match.  I was on the sidelines and everything, Armin!  It was amazing.  In the first half, I even got taken out by Ackerman."

"Is that why you're covered in bruises?" he questions.

"Probably," I shrug.  "It was amazing though.  I got a lot of good pictures."

"That's great," he smiles.  "I know how much you love the Scouts."

I nod and finish my coffee just as Armin slides a short stack of pancakes in front of me.  Mikasa emerges from her room then as I'm shoving the fluffy goodness into my mouth.  She's as much of a morning person as I am, and she makes a beeline for the coffee pot, grumbling something about needing her life support.  Once she has a full cup of coffee, black like she always drinks it, her eyes finally focus on Armin and I.  She nearly drops her precious life support.

"What the hell, Eren?!" she shouts, hurrying over to me, her cup of tar forgotten on the counter.  "What happened?"  She looks up at Armin.  "Should he go to the hospital?"

"No!" I answer before Armin can.  "I'm fine, Mikasa.  I already went thought this with Armin.  I'll be fine, and I already have an appointment with Dr. Zoe this afternoon."

"Wow, Eren," she says, sounding skeptical.  "I've never seen it this bad before."

"Well I don't usually get taken out by the Scouts' striker," I smirk, taking another bite of my pancakes.  It's for the first time since I woke up that I actually take a glance at my arms and legs.  Jeez, maybe Mikasa and Armin are right to worry.  If I go to the DMV and ask to change the skin color on my license from white to purple, they'd probably do it with no questions asked.  Check it out folks, I'm a purple people eater.

"Ackerman?  What do you mean he took you out?" she questions.  She doesn't sound so worried anymore, and she grabs her cup of coffee and sips at it as she sits down at the bar next to me.  Armin gives her a stack of pancakes as well and she eagerly digs in.

"I was looking through my view finder instead of paying attention to the field.  At least I got a few good shots of him right before he jumped on me.  It was wonderful.  I had Levi Ackerman sprawled over the top of me for like, an entire three seconds."

Mikasa rolls her eyes at me and we finish our breakfast in silence.  My classes start first, so after shoving the last of the pancakes into my mouth, I clear my place and get ready to leave.  With my half-assed art project carefully tucked into my portfolio, I pull the strap over my shoulder and hop on my bike, peddling the short distance across the street to campus.

The art building is quiet this early in the morning.  Us artists seem to be the most energetic at night, as is evident by the zombies that surround me.  Entering the studio where my pencil drawing class is held, I note the few tired faces already in the room.  I find Professor Hannes and hand him my assignment.

"Wow, this is very good, Eren," he says as he looks over my pencil drawing of Levi Ackerman making a shot on goal.  The timing of the match and the due date of this project was kind of unfortunate.  I had to use a magazine reference for my drawing since I needed to finish it before I went to the match last night.  It was obviously a doctored photo, but it was the best one I could find.  Now, I have thousands of better photographs on my camera.

My art usually consists of scenery and nature shots, and are rarely portraits.  If people appear in my artwork, it's usually as something in the background, little specks of life, like ants that I could take out with my thumb.  I hate drawing people because sometimes it's so difficult to get the right emotions on their faces.  A person's eyes are so deep and full of feeling and life.  Or some philosophical shit like that.  Whatever it is, I can't capture it, and the people I attempt to draw turn into lifeless robots.  Usually.  But Wednesday night, all I had been able to think about after Marco's call was a certain striker for the Scouts, and so it was that striker that found its way onto my paper.

"Thanks, Professor Hannes," I reply with my usual smile.

"Oh, and I didn't want to tell you earlier because I didn't want to get your hopes up, but I submitted a few of your works from your painting class into the Trost Art Gallery's art show next month.  All three of them were approved, and you were offered two spots," he tells me.  My eyes widen.  My work was accepted into an art show?  At Trost Art Gallery?  No way!  "Now, I know I did this without permission, so you may refuse the spots if you'd like, but-"

"No!  I'll totally take the spots!  Thank you, Hannes!" I grin.  How could I ever be upset with him for that?  I don't think he realizes how exciting this is for me.  "Which ones did you submit?"

"The one of the flowers under the tree with the wall in the distance, the one of the man on the horse in front of the forest, and the one of the city surrounded by the wall," he answers.  "You'll have to think up some names for the pieces you choose."

I nod.  This is perfect.  Those are some of my favorites.  "I'll chose which two I want in the show.  When do you need my decision by?"

"By Tuesday at the latest, but the sooner the better," he replies, a smile pulling at his lips.

"I'll have it into you by next class," I promise him with a smile.  "Thank you very much, Hannes.  When is the show?"

"Three weeks from tomorrow.  At nine in the evening."

"Perfect."  God, this is more than perfect!  I've been waiting four semesters to get into an art show.  And now it's finally here!  This is the moment that every art major yearns for, and works their asses off for.  I don't even care if I place or not.  This is where I will start to get my name out there.  Maybe I'll even sell one of my pieces.  Wow this has been an amazing few days.

He hands the drawing back to me and I catch his eyes scan my exposed arms and legs.  I could tell he had been trying not to while we were talking.  I should've worn long sleeves and jeans today, despite it being hotter than Satan's balls.  I can see the familiar worry in his eyes, but I ignore it, opting instead to take my normal seat on the stool in the back of the classroom.

I'm used to wandering eyes and concerned authority figures.  I have had to deal with it all my life, but it doesn't make it any less obnoxious.  When I was still in elementary school, my mother always told my teachers about my condition, and then instead of concern, they'd look on me with pity.  I can remember it to this day, the looks I'd get.  They thought I was so fragile, like if they looked at me wrong I would shatter into a million little pieces.  I hated those looks.  I hated them with every fiber of my being.  Even as a little kid, I hated being treated like I was so different.  Just because I have a health condition doesn't make me fragile.  I'm strong.  I won't let this stupid illness bring me down or hinder me in anything I do.  Even if I can't beat it, even if it is incurable, I won't let _it_ beat _me_.  I won't let it control me.  This is what I told my mother in fifth grade, and she agreed that she wouldn't tell my middle school teachers, and that she'd see about it being taken off my record.  She succeeded in having it removed, but under the one condition that I wear a medical alert bracelet, just in case anything happened.  I wore it every day all through high school, but now it sits in the bowl next to my pills, collecting dust.

...

Sitting in the waiting room in the specialists' section of the hospital, I pick up today's newspaper from the table covered in magazines.  I turn so my legs dangle over one armrest of the plush chair, and my back leans up against the other armrest.  I flip to the sports section.  The first page is the article celebrating Ackerman's one hundredth match with the Scouts', made sweeter by their winning score of one to zero, the goal having been scored by Ackerman himself.  Right below the headline is my picture of him scoring the match winning goal.  It's not my best picture, considering I was all the way down the field and had to megazoom that shit, but it was the most appropriate picture to use.

"Have you seen the photo on the front page of the sports section?  It's one of the _best_ I've ever seen!" Dr. Zoe's voice suddenly rings from the doorway.  "That photographer is so talented!  Such a beautiful picture that makes such a grumpy man seem not so grumpy."

I stand up, tossing the newspaper back on the table as I pick up my backpack.  "I took that picture!" I tell her excitedly with grin.

She laughs.  "I know, sweetie, you're name is on the photo," she smiles.

"Oh, right," I murmur, rubbing at the back of my neck with a nervous laugh.

I follow the eccentric doctor through the doorway and down a very familiar hallway.  After I accepted my admittance to Trost University and left Shiganshina, my father looked around for a new doctor for me.  One of his coworkers recommended Dr. Hanji Zoe at this hospital, and he liked her because she specializes in blood conditions, primarily hemophilia.  And I have to say that I'm happy with his decision to refer me to her.  At first I didn't know what to think of Hanji, but I slowly warmed up to her, and now I actually like going to the doctor every other week.

"Having problems with bruising, dear?" Hanji asks me as she looks me over.

"While I was at the Scout's match, one of the players tackled me.  I made sure I wasn't bleeding or anything, I just bruised a lot," I tell her.

"Poor thing," she coos, ruffling my hair as she leads me into an exam room.

She goes through all her normal questions and her quick tests.  She checks all of my bruises and tests my circulation.  We chat and catch up over the last two weeks since we last saw each other.  We seem to have more of a friendly relationship than that of doctor and patient, so much so that we're on first name basis with each other.  I tell her about the animal biology presentation on the anatomy of a fish that I gave on the spot, about my art project I did pretty much last minute, about getting accepted into the art show, and I drone on and on about the Scouts match last night.  She tells me that she's been getting busier here, and that she went on a blind date last Saturday arranged by a friend and that she'll be seeing him again tomorrow.  She says he's a sports guy, but she can't remember what he does.  Something with coaching.  I laugh at how much she seems to like him, yet can't remember what he does for a living.

"Well, everything looks good, sweetie.  I'm going to have you take an extra pill each day until all this bruising fades, okay?"

I nod and she leads me back out to the front room.  With a wave and the promise that I'll see her again in two weeks, I head to the ground floor.  I'm walking past the trauma wing of the hospital when a familiar voice calls my name.

"Eren!"

I turn to see Armin running towards me, wearing his long white coat.  His hair is pulled back into a short ponytail, the loose strands pinned up with bobby pins.

"Hey Armin," I greet.  I pull out my phone to check the time.  It's a little after three thirty.  "You're here a little early, aren't you?  Don't you usually not start until four on Fridays?"

"I just got here, so I'm getting ready for my shift.  How did your check up go?"

"It went fine.  Dr. Zoe is just having me take an extra pill each day until the bruises go away," I reply with a shrug.

"Good!"

"So how'd your brain stuff thingy quiz go?"

"Neuroscience?" he supplies with a giggle.

"Yeah that."

"It went well.  I was more worried than I needed to be," he says, rubbing at the back of his neck.

I snort.  "I knew you'd do well.  When do you ever _not_ do well?"

He rolls his eyes at me.

"Oh," I say, suddenly remembering.  "Professor Hannes entered a few of my paintings into an art show next month and I got two spots!  At Trost Art Gallery!"

"Wow, that's great, Eren!" he says with a huge smile.  "You've finally been accepted into an art show!"

"Yeah, I've been waiting forever for this," I exhale.  "It's almost surreal.  It needs to be next month already."

He laughs with a nod.  "I'm proud of you, Eren.  Make sure you get me the date and time and I'll be sure to be there.  You should also tell the rest of the group.  I'm sure a lot of them will go."

"Thanks, and I most definitely will.  Maybe my parents will even be able to come up for the evening."

"That would be great.  Well, I better get going to my shift.  I'll see you tonight," he says with a smile, then heads into the trauma wing.

I leave the hospital and bike home.  I can't wait to tell Mikasa about the art show too.  And I'll need to call my parents.  They'll be happy for me.  At least, I hope my dad will.  He wasn't too happy about me majoring in art to begin with.  But, if I can show him that I'm actually starting to go somewhere with my art, maybe he won't be such a stiff about it.  It's really quiet obnoxious, even though I try not to let him see that it annoys me.

But first I need to decide which pieces I'm going to choose for the show.  I like all three of the ones Hannes submitted.  Too bad I can't choose all of them.  Well, the one of the flowers under the tree is my favorite.  So if I pick that one, do I pick the one with the forest for something different, or do I pick the one of the city surrounded by the wall to keep the wall theme?

I think about it all the way back to my apartment, which takes about half an hour.  I still haven't decided by the time I reach the bike rack between the buildings.  Oh well.  I have a few days to think about it.  I have three classes with Hannes, two on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and one on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I'll even have time to ask him what he thinks before I need to give him my decision.  And maybe Mikasa can help.

I open the door and see Mikasa sitting on the couch, her knees drawn up to her chest.  She looks up when I enter the room, then lifts the remote to pause whatever it is she's watching.  As I enter the front room, tossing my backpack on the ground in front of the couch, I see it's some sort of action movie, paused on a bloody scene.  Well what was I expecting from Mikasa?  A chick flick?  Yeah, right.  Hell hasn't frozen over yet.

"How was your appointment?  Did Dr. Zoe say anything about your bruises?" she asks.

"She's just having me take more pills until they go away," I tell her, repeating the same thing I've already told Armin.  God I feel like a parrot.  "So Professor Hannes got me two spots in an art show at Trost Art Gallery next month."

She sits up straighter, lowering her feet to the ground.  "Thanks great, Eren!  This is what you've been working towards, right?  Wow, this is exciting.  We should go out and celebrate."

I frown, looking down at my bruised arms and legs.  "Nah, I don't feel like going out all bruised like this.  We can hold the celebration for after the show.  And maybe even go pre-gaming before the show," I joke.

She rolls her eyes and resumes her movie.  I head into my room to grab my Calculus textbook before taking a seat on the couch next to her.  Between doing my Calculus homework, I tell her which paintings I have to chose from for the art show, and she gives me her opinion on which I should submit.  She likes my forest one and the one of the city.  Well that doesn't help much.  Maybe I should just submit those two and leave my favorite for the next show.  Because there will definitely be a next show.  I'm super confident about that.  My art career is starting to take off now.

...

Come Monday morning, I've pretty much decided on the flowers and the forest for the art show.  But I haven't decided on names.  I contemplate just leaving them as 'untitled' but that's so boring.  And I'm not a boring person.  I have to come up with something creative.  Or something stupid.  Creatively stupid?  Knowing me it'll be creatively stupid.

I've already told all of my friends about the art show, and it looks like they're all going to try and go.  Well, they could just be saying that, but I don't care.  It'd be cool if all my friends could be there, but it won't break my heart of they're not.  What I really care about is that my parents can make it.  Especially my dad.  I want him to see me going somewhere with my art.  But I haven't called them yet, although I should.  Perhaps I'll do that tonight.  Or perhaps I'll put it off like I always do.

Entering my pencil drawing class, I head straight towards Mr. Hannes setting things up on the front table.

"Good morning, Eren," he greets me with a tired smile.  Yeah, eight A.M. classes suck.

"Good morning, Professor Hannes.  I made my decision," I tell him.

"Oh good.  Which ones?"

"The flowers and the forest," I reply.  "I'll try and come up with names before tomorrow."

He nods, writing it down on his hand with a red pen.  "I don't need the names now.  All the information won't be needed for another two weeks.  Right now they just need the works to decide where to place them in the gallery."

"Okay.  Thank you again for this, Hannes.  I'm so excited.  I really owe you one."

"You've earned it, Eren.  I would've done this a long time ago, but I wasn't sure if you wanted your art to be in shows or not."

"Of course I do!  This is an amazing opportunity."

"Good, I'm glad you're not upset with me for taking the initiative," he says.  "Hopefully it'll be a good show for you."

I thank him again for the hundredth time, because apparently I really am a parrot, then take my usual seat in the back.  Things are really looking up for me now it seems, what with getting my work accepted into this art show and with scoring that photography assignment last week.  My name is on the photograph that made the front page of the sports section.  I just wish it had been a little better of a photograph.  Not only that, but I met my idol!  I wonder if I can convince Marco to let me have that assignment permanently.  What I wouldn't give to photograph all of the Scouts home matches.

I decide to call my parents during my ten minute break between my pencil drawing class and my painting class.  Sitting outside in the small quad behind the art building, I press my phone to my ear and listen to it ring and ring and ring and-

_"Hello?"_

"Hi mom," I answer.

 _"Eren!  Is something wrong, dear?  How was your checkup on Friday?"_ she asks, prattling off questions like the worrywart she always is.

"I'm fine, mom," I reply quickly to ease her automatic fears.  "My checkup was fine.  I was actually calling because I wanted to tell you and dad that I got offered two spots in an art show here in Trost."

 _"That's wonderful, honey!  I'm very proud of you.  Well, I'm always proud of you, dear,"_ she says and I can hear the smile in her tone.

"Thanks mom," I sigh.  "I was actually hoping you and dad could come to the show.  It'll be on a Saturday night.  Three weeks from this last weekend."

_"Of course your father and I will make it.  I'm excited to see my baby's art in a gallery!"_

"Mom," I groan.  "I'm twenty years old.  I'm not your baby anymore."

 _"You'll always be my baby, Eren,"_ she coos.

I exhale sharply, rubbing at my eyes.  I love my mother to death, but sometimes she smothers me just a little too much.

"I have to get to my next class.  I love you," I tell her.

_"Love you too sweetie.  We'll see you soon!"_

I hang up and pocket my phone.  I'm honestly glad that my mother answered the phone rather than my father.  Dad is probably still at work, but the thought that he could've been home and might've answered the phone scared me a little.  It's much easier talking to my mom about anything related to my art.  It's not that my father isn't supportive, he's just a little disappointed.  I think he wanted me to go to medical school and become a doctor like him, but I think he would've been happy with any major other than art.  But I couldn't really give a flying fuck about what he wanted.  This is my life.  I'll do whatever I want to do and he'll just have to deal with it.  I'll never say that out loud to him though.  I value my life too much.

...

That Friday, I'm at the coffee shop for the afternoon shift.  It's nearing my time to clock out and I can't wait.  Jeez why does time move so slow when you're working?  Or in school?  Or doing anything else boring?  The Scouts have an away match tonight, and I want to get back to my apartment before it starts.  Not likely, considering the match starts right at the end of my shift, but a boy can hope to be let off early, right?

When seven o'clock rolls around and Rico enters the small shop to relieve me of my duties, I almost throw my apron in the air in relief.  But I hang it up like normal people do, fearing the scary manager's wrath, then race out of the coffee shop to fetch my bike.  Just as I finish unlocking it, my phone starts to ring in my pocket.  I read the name on the caller ID and smile.

"What's up, buttercup?" I ask, idling next to the bike rack in front of the ninety-nine cents store.

 _"Are you off of work yet?"_ Armin asks, and I can hear a bunch of voices in the background.

"Yup!  Why?  Is everyone getting together tonight?"

 _"Yeah.  So far it's me, Mikasa, Connie and Sasha, Marco and Jean, and Ymir and Krista. I think Reiner, Bert, and Annie might be coming too,"_ he tells me.

"Wow, the whole gang!  Who's place?  I'll meet you all there.  Or are you guys going to a bar?  If we are then someone's going to have to sneak me a beer,"  I joke.  But in all honestly, it's getting rather annoying being the youngest out of everybody, especially now that I'm the only one that's not legal yet.  And I won't be for another seven months.

 _"We're going to Connie and Sasha's place.  They're going to have the Scouts match on, just for you,"_ Armin teases.

"Oh come on!  I'm not the only one that watches soccer.  Mikasa, Connie, Jean, Reiner, Ymir... most of us like it!  And Jean, Connie, and Mikasa are even Scouts fans," I point out.

_"Mikasa is only a Scouts fan because you forced her," Armin laughs.  "I'm just teasing you, Eren."_

"Ha ha, so funny.  Make fun of my obsession why don't you," I grumble.  "I'm leaving the shop right now.  I'll see you all there."

I hang up and tuck my phone back in my pocket.  A big grin is on my face as I race down the streets back towards campus.  We haven't hung out as a large group like this in a long time.  Usually someone is busy with school or work or life or something else stupid like that.  So I'm glad we can all get together now and watch the Scouts dominate whoever the hell it is they're playing tonight.

Sasha and Connie live together in the same building as Mikasa, Armin, and I.  We're up on the fourth floor, and they're on the second.  So I lock up my bike in the bike rack between two of the buildings, then hurry into our block.  I first run up to my apartment to drop off my backpack and pull on my Ackerman jersey, then I take the stairs down to the second floor and knock twice on Connie and Sasha's door.

The door opens to the blasting of the TV and loud conversations filling the small apartment.  Connie grins widely at me, proudly sporting his number nineteen Zacharias jersey.  He ushers me into the apartment and hands me a beer.  It seems like everyone else is already here.  Even Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie.  Mikasa, Jean, Marco, and Ymir are all crammed onto the couch, shouting at the TV and at each other.  Jean is wearing his Schultz jersey, Mikasa her Church jersey, and Ymir is wearing a bright blue jersey that matches the color of the other team on the television.  It appears that most of the shouting is coming from Jean and Ymir.

"Sit!  The match started only a few minutes ago.  You missed a bogus hand call on Jinn," Connie says, catching me up as he leads me into his apartment.

"It wasn't bogus!  It was clear as day!" Ymir snarls at Connie, then jumps out of her seat.  "Here, Jaeger, you sit here.  If I sit next to this horseface a second longer I'm going to beat his horse face in."

I just shrug, squeezing in between Mikasa and Jean.  I take a swig of my beer and focus on the match playing across the small television.

"Woah!  No fucking way!" Connie suddenly shouts, his hands clamping down on my shoulders.  I look back at him with wide eyes.  "When did you get this signed?  Is that a legit signature?!"

"No, I forged Ackerman's signature," I retort, my voice dripping with sarcasm.  "Of course it's real!  Dude, I photographed their home match last Thursday night!  Didn't you see the article in Trost Daily?  Ask Marco.  Ackerman totally tackled me, and after the match, he autographed my jersey.  He said it was the least he could do for taking me out."

"Oh my god, I totally saw that on TV," Jean says, punching me in the arm.  "I was watching the match and I saw Ackerman take someone out on the sidelines.  I didn't realize that was you!  It was hilarious!"

"Yeah, it was hilarious.  Ha ha ha."

"No wonder you look like a month old banana," Sasha giggles, walking into the room with a bag of chips.

I shoot her a glare as Connie walks up beside her and loops an arm around her waist.  I'm about to make a snarky comeback, hopefully regaining a little bit of dignity, but then Ackerman steals the ball from a halfback and begins racing down the field with it.  The room erupts with cheers.  Jean and I shoot to our feet, shouting at the television.  Connie joins in on our shouts of encouragement while Ymir and Reiner start screaming at the other team to stop him.  Sasha and Mikasa even get a little animated as Ackerman passes it off to Church, who passes it back to Schultz.  Our cheers are all an unintelligible warble of words as Schultz shoots it back up to Ackerman who lets it fly with a hard kick towards the upper right corner of the net.  The room falls shockingly silent for half a heartbeat as the ball sails, closer and closer to the goal.  The goalkeeper leaps.  And misses.

The room is louder than it was before.  I swear the neighbors three doors down are going to call the cops with a noise complaint.  But who gives a shit?  Reiner and Ymir skulk quietly as almost everyone else in the room cheers loudly.  Jean, Connie, and I are the loudest, and I think everyone else is just cheering because, what else are you supposed to do at a sports party when a point is scored?

As the night progresses, the noise doesn't die down in the slightest.  In fact, I think it amplifies as everyone begins to get more and more drunk.  I know I myself am far from sober.  I'm working on my... fourth beer?  Fifth?  Like hell if I remember.  All I know is that it's two to zilch Scouts.  Or is that a seven?  I can't tell.  The tiny number is too fuzzy.

When the match ends, with a score of five million to one- or maybe it was just five- Mikasa and Armin have to practically drag me down the hall to the elevator.  I'm in my post-win celebration phase.  So why are we leaving?  What time is it?  I think Mikasa says it's eleven, but that can't be right.  Whatever.  Scouts win!  As the elevator shoots up faster than the speed of sound, I suddenly feel dizzy, and it makes me laugh.  Wow, maybe I drank a little more than I thought.

"Oh my god, Eren, stop laughing," Armin murmurs as he and Mikasa drag me down the hall towards our apartment.  But he's giggling too, and that only makes me laugh harder.

"It's... funny, Armin!" I choke out around laughs.

"What's funny, Eren?" Armin giggles.  I think he had a few drinks too.  But I wasn't watching him.  I was watching that cutie-patutie short stack score goals on a tiny television.

I stop laughing.  "Uh... I don't know, Armin."  I start laughing again.

"Why are we saying each other's names?" Mikasa questions, not fazed at all by my drunken giddiness.

"I don't know that either, Mikasa," I reply honestly.

"Jeez, I should've cut you off three beers ago," Mikasa grumbles.

"Aw, but where's the fun in that, Mikasa?"

She rolls her eyes, dumping me on the couch before heading into the kitchen.  When she reappears, it's with a tall glass of water and I down it quickly.  She refills it, and this time I drink it a little slower.

"Oh, and when you're sober, Marco wants to talk to you."

"Talk to me about what?"

"What do you think?  About work."

"Which work is he again?"

Mikasa exhales sharply, heading towards her bedroom.  "Never mind.  I'll remind you tomorrow."

"Oookay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so that last scene? Uhm, I didn't do that on purpose. It wasn't planned. I was just writing and Eren and Armin ended up drunk and giggly.... DON'T LOOK AT ME.


	3. Fan Receives Offer of a Lifetime!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And he's back! Yay for more awkward interactions with Levi XD Oh, and I think a Levi POV section is coming up? In another chapter or two maybe :3
> 
> Thanks you guys for all the comments/kudos etc! They make me so happy, especially to receive so many for a fic I was so unsure about ^_^

**Eren**

I drop an Alka-seltzer into my cup of coffee and watch it fizz.  With my elbow leaning against the countertop and my cheek pressed into my palm, I stare at the little bubbles in my black as tar coffee.  My head is pounding and the lights hurt.  Maybe getting drunk the night before my five o'clock morning shift at the coffee shop wasn't such a good idea.  I groan, dropping my forehead onto the cold counter.

The door chimes and I look up quickly and try to hide my wince as a customer approaches the counter and rattles off her super complicated order as if it weren't five fucking o'clock in the morning and I didn't have a huge fucking hangover.  Can I just drink my fizzy tar coffee and be left alone please?

I take her order and fill it.  She doesn't taste it to see if I got it right before leaving, for which I'm grateful.  I shoot a glare at the light on the ceiling.  Why do we need lights?  Can't people just drink their coffee and read their newspapers in the dark?

The owner of the shop, Nanaba, is the only other person on duty this morning with me, and we exchange light conversation.  I try to hide from her that I'm hung over, but I think she already knows.  Either way, she doesn't acknowledge it.  She's pretty easy on me, and the rest of the staff.  As long as we do our work correctly, she doesn't care.  Her manager is so much worse.  I shudder at just the thought of her.  Rico.  Ugh.  I haven't worked a shift with her in a while, and again, I'm grateful.  Wow, I'm grateful for everything today, despite the nuke that was dropped on my brain this morning.

Mikasa comes in for her shift at seven, and Nanaba sends me on my break once she clocks in.  I think I remember Mikasa offering to switch shifts with me last night.  Why didn't I accept that?  Maybe because I can hardly even remember her offer?  Jeez I was really drunk last night.  I must've had a lot more beers than I thought I did.  Four beers doesn't do this to me.  Or even five, really.

I sit at a table in the back and pull out my phone.  I also vaguely remember Mikasa telling me that Marco wanted to talk to me about work.  It's still too early to call him, especially since it's Saturday, so I shoot him a quick text telling him to call me when he gets a chance.

It's just after eleven, when I'm hanging up my apron, that my phone starts to ring.  I answer it as I leave the shop.

"Yellow," I greet, glowering up at the sky.  Ugh why is the sun so BRIGHT?!  At least my hangover has mostly eased away by now.

 _"It's Marco,"_ Marco's cheery voice replies.  Apparently he didn't get the memo that it's still too god damn early to be that chipper.  _"I have a job offer for you."_

"Yeah?  What kind of job offer?" I ask, walking past the few shop fronts to get to the bike rack.  My normal routine of trying to come up with an excuse is quickly pushed away.  The last time he called about a job it turned out to be a total score.

_"Well, my photographer for the Scouts matches is still sick, and honestly I like your photographs much more than I liked his, so I was wondering if you'd be interested in taking that position permanently."_

I almost drop my phone as my eyes go wide and my mouth hangs open.  I can't speak for a long minute.  Is he serious?  Like seriously serious?  He wants me to photograph all of the Scouts' home matches?  For real?!

"Hell yes I'd be interested in taking that position!" I nearly shout.  "And by permanently, you mean...."

 _"All of their home matches for at least the rest of the season,"_ Marco reassures, and I can hear the smile in his voice.  But when is he not smiling?

"Oh my god you really are freckled Jesus!"

_"Freckled... wait what?"_

"Nothing, sorry, thank you!"

He just chuckles.  _"Their next home match is Wednesday night.  It'll be the same as the last match, and every match after: come by the office and pick up your pass before you go, then they'll point you in the right direction.  It's usually the same spot they stuck you in for the last match, but every once in a while they'll change it up."_

"Got it," I reply.

 _"Perfect.  I'll see you Wednesday,"_ he says.

I say my goodbye, and throw in another thank you before hanging up.  I actually leap into the air and I cheer, punching the air for good measure.  This is perfect.  This is so perfect.  I get to go to all of the Scouts' home matches now!  And I get to watch from the sidelines!  This couldn't get any more amazing.  I wonder if I'll have any more run-ins with Ackerman?  Maybe if I stick around after every match, we could actually get to know each other a little bit?

I laugh out loud as I unlock my bike.  Yeah, right.  He's a star soccer player, a celebrity.  I'm just a photographer for a newspaper.  What interest would he have in getting to know me?  I'm just being silly, and too hopeful.

But I can't help it.  I'm too excited, and my artist's imagination is taking off with my unrealistic crush on someone who is light years out of my league.

...

Well... fuck.  I glance up at the clock hanging from the pristinely white wall.  It's only three o'clock.  The match isn't until eight tonight.  I'll be fine.  I have plenty of time.  My gaze moves to the thick bag of crimson hanging above my head, following the thin tube that snakes down from the bag to connect to the needle stuck into the crease of my elbow.  I drop my head back into the flat pillows.  Why did this have to happen _today_?  I should've just stayed away from everything sharp, like I usually do when I have places I need to be, just to avoid accidents like these.

I don't know why I had to sharpen that pencil.  I have a dozen others just like it.  But no.  Using a pocket knife to sharpen my pencil, for some god forsaken reason, had seemed like a good idea to me.  Well, it wasn't.  And of course my hand slipped.  And that perfectly sharpened blade sliced right into my finger.  Normally that's not too much of a problem.  Any cut bleeds much more heavily than normal for me, but a minor cut to my finger would just require a lot of pressure for a couple of hours.  This one is worse than a minor cut though.  My pocket knife that I keep perfectly sharpened sliced halfway through my finger, cutting through the small little artery.  Wonderful.  That means a trip to the emergency room and a blood transfusion.  The point of the transfusion is not only to replace the buckets of blood pouring from my finger, but also to fill my veins with blood that actually has the ability to clot and function like normal blood should.

I exhale sharply, dry washing my face with both hands.  A fat cotton ball is strapped to the index finger of my left hand with bright blue bandaging.  Beneath it sit two measly little stitches.  Yeah, that's right.  I'm in the emergency room hooked to a bag of blood for an injury requiring no more than two stitches.

At least the section of the emergency room they stuck me is small and quiet.  There are a handful of other beds spaced out around me, and most of them are empty.  One holds an older man getting his heart checked by a doctor, and another holds a young kid getting his arm put in a cast while his mother stands over him chiding him for not being careful.  The little boy keeps looking over at me, at the bag of blood hanging next to my bed.  I make funny faces at him and he laughs, looking away only to look back at me a few minutes later, and I make another funny face.  The pattern repeats and it helps distract me from my shitty situation.

Another distraction comes running into the room then, eyes wide and red scarf nearly falling from her shoulders.  Mikasa hurries over to me, followed closely by Dr. Zoe.  Although, Hanji is a lot more calm than Mikasa is.  Hanji was notified when I first arrived, and she was the one that stitched up my wound and put in the order for a blood transfusion.

"Oh my god, Eren, what did you do?" Mikasa snaps at me.

"It was an accident," I grumble, looking away from her as Dr. Zoe takes my hand to check the wound.

"You can't have accidents, Eren.  You need to be more careful."

"I know that, Mikasa," I exhale sharply.  "But accidents are called accidents for a reason.  They're not called on-purposes."

She rolls her eyes at my poor attempt at a joke.  She takes her phone out of her pocket and begins to dial a number.

"Who are you calling?" I ask out of curiosity.

"Marco.  I'm telling him you can't shoot the match tonight," she answers, putting the phone to her ear.

"No!" I shout, snatching the phone from her hand and hanging up.  She reaches for it, so I sit on it and she gives me a somewhat disgusted look.  I stick my tongue out at her with a smug grin.

"Eren, you're getting blood pumped into your body.  You can't go to that shoot tonight," she tries to reason with me.

"Why not?" I whine, then turn to Hanji.  "Dr. Zoe, can I please go to the match?  I promise I'll be careful.  And I'll promise not to get tackled by any of the players this time."

She looks between my pleading expression and Mikasa's disapproving one.  "Well... I don't see why not.  He'll be fine in a few hours, once the transfusion finishes.  Just take it easy, Eren.  And I'd prefer if you take a cab instead of riding your bike."

"Deal," I agree quickly, and Mikasa sighs in defeat.  She knows that she'll never be able to convince me to stay home, especially now that I have my doctor's permission to go.

She waits with me in the emergency room for another hour before having to leave to go to work.  As much as her overprotective tendencies bother me sometimes, I find that after she leaves, I miss her.  Mostly because now I don't have anyone to talk to or keep me company and I'm bored.  Well, she had brought me my sketchbook and a few pencils, and that helps cure my boredom, but it doesn't change the fact that I have no one to talk to.  I like talking to people.

I sketch in my sketchbook for the next few hours, waiting anxiously for Dr. Zoe to release me.  I keep nervously glancing at the clock as it ticks the hours by, closer and closer to eight o'clock.  I still need to go back to my apartment and get my camera.  Hopefully I won't be here much longer.

Right on cue, Hanji walks into the room to check on me.  The transfusion finished an hour or so ago, and she deems me ready to be released.  I'm so relieved I could kiss her.  She signs off on my paperwork, and also cancels my appointment for Friday, since that's only two days from now, and not much can happen in two days that will make a checkup worth it.  She brings me my clothes and I quickly change out of my hospital gown and, grabbing my things, I race out of the room.  I hear her call after me to be careful, and I wave a hand back at her as a sort of reassurance.

Out front of the large hospital, I hail a cab and climb into the back seat.  "I have a couple of stops, actually," I tell the cabbie and he nods.  I read off my apartment address first, which isn't too far from the hospital.

At the apartment, I quickly change into my jersey and grab my camera, then have the cabbie take me by the Trost Daily office to pick up my pass before finally telling him to take me to Trost Stadium.  I pay my fee, then hurry out of the cab and to the west entrance.  Again, they point me to the northwest corner, and I find a free spot.  It's about ten minutes until the match starts.  Phew.  Right on time.

The teams are just finishing up their warm ups and are preparing to start the match as I set up my camera.  The Scouts are warming up on this end of the field again, and I get a couple of good shots in.  Marco didn't give me a focus today, so I try to take pictures of everyone.  With my vision narrowed through the eyepiece and my attention on Church taking a shot at Zacharias, I don't notice the stray ball rolling towards me until it bumps against my leg.  I lower my camera to hang around my neck and bend down to pick the soccer ball up.  When I straighten, my eyes meet a pair of stunning grey ones.

There is a faint smirk on Ackerman's face.  I just stare back at him, and when he lifts one thin eyebrow at me, I suddenly remember the ball in my hands, the ball he's most likely there to retrieve.  I hurriedly shove it into his arms, and... oh my god did I just squeak?!

Levi's amused smirk grows and he actually winks at me before backing away.  "You going to stay out of my way tonight, brat?" he asks and why is his voice so god damn sexy?  I catch his eyes flicker down to the cotton wad strapped to the inside of my arm, and to the one still wrapped around my finger covering the stitches.  I try to casually move my arm behind my back to hide them.

"U-Uh yes, sir," I stutter in reply.  Sir?  Sir?!  What the hell is wrong with me?

Ackerman rolls his eyes at me and takes off back onto the field.  Great.  Now he thinks I'm an even bigger loser than he most likely already thought I was.  Way to embarrass yourself in front of your idol.  _Again._   God, get your brain out of your ass, Jaeger.

My heart is racing, and it makes me feel a little light headed.  I'm sure that's not too healthy for me considering where I spent the majority of my afternoon, but there's not much I can do about it now.  All I can hope for is that Levi won't talk to me again tonight.  I don't think I can handle that sexy voice and that perfect face and those mesmerizing eyes....  Wow, pull yourself together, Jaeger.  He's galaxies out of your league, remember?

But my wish comes true, as much as I hate my stupid wish and want to take it back.  Ackerman doesn't exchange a single word with me, which isn't surprising during the match because, well, he's busy playing soccer.  But even after the match ends with a losing score of three to one, he doesn't say a word.  I wait on the other side of the fence again, but he doesn't even acknowledge my existence, continuing into the locker room while talking with Eld Jinn.

This pattern continues for the next home match as well.  He doesn't completely ignore me, he just doesn't make any effort to talk to me.  I catch him glancing over at me during warm ups or time outs, or even occasionally while he's out on the field.  I wonder at that, though.  Why is he showing interest in me?  Well, not like an _actual_ interest or anything.  No, that would be silly.  Of course not.  But why does he keep looking at me?  Is there something on my face?  A bug?  A booger?  Maybe it's my bruises?  There's always at least one.  Usually they're small, and ninety-nine point ninety-nine percent of the time they've formed on their own because of my hemophilia.  But I'll admit that it does look a little suspicious.  Is that why he stares?  Is it because I'm an ugly bruised banana and it disgusts him?

It's the next match after that when he finally talks to me.  He's alone when he walks to the locker room this time, and he actually walks up to the fence and leans his forearms on it, making me take a step back in surprise.  His forehead still glimmers with a faint sheen of sweat, despite having wiped it down with the towel that now hangs around his neck.  His cheeks are still a little red from the exertion of the match, and his eyes are still glowing with that same effort, with that passion for the sport he excels at.  It hits me, for the hundredth time, how absolutely beautiful this man is.  Melt-the-flesh-from-my-bones hot, I swear.  Jesus Christ, someone catch me, I think I might swoon.

Levi reaches over and lifts my pass from my chest, reading it quickly before dropping it again.  "Photographer, huh?  You always come over here after the matches, yet you never take a single picture.  You hoping I'll pose or something?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.

"N-No," I reply quickly.

I can see amusement glow in his steel grey eyes.  "Then why?"

The best I can do is shrug.  My vocal chords seem to have gone on sabbatical.  Great.  Ackerman smiles- like actually smiles- at me, then straightens and regards me with a quick once over.

"Why don't you come to our practices?" he suggests.  He reaches over and grabs the ballpoint pen sticking out of a side pocket of my backpack.  He grabs my hand and starts to write across my palm.  Is it stupid that my skin tingles where his fingers touch my skin?  That my lungs suddenly forgot how to be lungs?  "You might get some good shots, and it's a lot less crowded and noisy.  You might even get to talk with some of the players and coaching staff."

My eyes are wide as saucers, probably making me look like an even bigger loser, but I don't care.  Scouts practices are closed to the public and to the press on most days, except for announced open practice days.  Is Levi actually giving me permission to watch their closed practices?  And to take pictures of them?  When he finishes writing, I see a rough schedule scribbled across my palm and a phone number beneath it.  My heart nearly explodes at the sight of those seven beautiful digits, but then Levi shatters my schoolgirl crush bubble of hope.

"That's Erwin's office number.  Call him and let him know I invited you to practices.  He'll clear it with security to let you in," he tells me.  "What's your name?"

"Uh, E-Eren," I stutter.  Really?  Did I really just stutter over my fucking name?  "Eren Jaeger."

"Eren..." he says slowly, trying it out.  Hearing him say my name like that does weird things to me.  More specifically, to my dick.  "I like it.  I'll let him know to expect your call."

"U-Uh, thank you!" I say, my voice bubbling with excitement like the dweeb I am.  "Thank you very much!"

He nods, and his eyes flicker down to my legs, one with a yellowing bruise the size of my fist, and the other with two slightly smaller black and blue bruises.  He leaves, heading into the locker room, and I'm left standing there wondering at his motives for inviting me to his practices.  My mind instantly goes down a darker path, because honestly that's where everyone else's minds always go.  Abuse.  He thinks I'm being abused, and he's trying to get me away from my abuser by inviting me to attend his practices.

Of course, that's just the explanation my paranoid mind supplies.  It's probably not true.  There are a hundred other reasons why Ackerman would invite me to his practices.  For my delusional idea to be true, he'd have to care about my wellbeing, and honestly, why would he?  I'm just a college kid taking photography jobs to help pay the bills.  He's a professional soccer player.  In no universe will those two circles ever come anywhere near each other, and in no universe should someone like him ever worry about someone like me.

But who cares?!  I get to go to all his practices now too!  The stalker inside me is whooping in joy, not caring what Ackerman's true intentions are of inviting me, just excited over the fact that the prey just gave me permission to stalk him further than I already do.

...

As soon as I get home, Levi's schedule gets transferred onto a sticky note and stuck to the wall above my desk.  Away match days: no practice day of, day after four to ten.  Home match days: eight to two.  Non match days: ten to two and four to eight.  No practice on non match Sundays.  I will find a way to make that work with my school schedule, and hopefully my job at the coffee shop won't impede too much.  On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I'm done with classes by ten, so that should work out nicely.  Tuesdays and Thursdays won't work though.  I have classes from nine-thirty to almost five, with only a break from eleven to two.  Oh well, I don't have to go _every_ day.  I'll just go to as many practices as I can, until Ackerman gets sick of me and kicks me out.

"What's that?" Armin asks from where he's laying on his stomach on his bed.  He has a huge textbook laying open in front of him.

"The practice schedule for the Scouts," I reply with a grin.

"What?  But I thought their practices were closed to the public," he says with a frown, sitting up on his bed so he can face me.

"They are, but they usually have a few days each season where they open it up to the public," I reply.  "But, Ackerman told me I can go to all of them.  He gave me the head coach's number so that he can clear it with security."

"Wow that's so cool, Eren!" Armin grins.  "Connie and Jean are going to be so jealous."

I laugh.  "You bet they are!  And you can bet that I'll totally rub it in their faces," I grin.  "But, Levi said that I'll get to be able to talk to the players.  Maybe I can get them autographs of their favorite players.  Connie's is Zacharias, right?  And Jean's is Schultz?"

Armin nods.  "I think so.  Mikasa's also a fan of Church."

"That's right," I say, pulling up the Major League Soccer schedule on my laptop.  "I'll have to get her an autograph too."

"That's exciting, Eren," Armin says, still smiling as he turns back to his textbook.

"You have no idea, Armin."

I print out the Scouts match schedule for the remainder of the season, then pull my planner out of my backpack.  I go through each month, circling the days that I'll be able to make a practice.  This doesn't account for my work schedule at the coffee shop, because I only get those schedules a week at a time, but so far there are a lot of red circles, so if I lose a few to my other part time job, it won't be the end of the world.  After I go through the whole season, I flip back to the current month and check to see when the next practice I'll be able to make is.  Today is Wednesday, so... in three days.  Saturday.  I have the art show that night, but it doesn't start until nine, so I could catch most of their practice if I wanted to.  I really shouldn't though, because I have another art project that I've been procrastinating on, and I think the deadline is coming up, so I'll probably just stay for the morning block.

Tossing the pen onto my desk, I lean back in my chair and look over the little red circles all over the page of my planner.  Is it Saturday yet?!  Scouts practice, and my first art show?  I'm so excited that the wait might just kill me.

...

Okay, I called Mr. Smith's office right?  Yes, I did that yesterday morning.  I think?  Should I call him again?  I already called him twice, I'm pretty sure.  He's probably annoyed with me.  They might not let me in anymore.  Oh no, would he do that?  Would he tell the security guards that he changed his mind, and that they shouldn't let the annoying college student in?  Well shit on my dick....

My mind is working a million miles an hour as I lock up my bike in front of Trost Stadium.  What entrance do I even go in?  I decided not to wear my jersey today, but should I have?  Is the bruise over my right eye going to look suspicious?  Maybe they won't let me in because of that.  I look like I got in a fight.  Should I have brought an extra memory card?  I don't know how long I'm going to be here.  I might take too many pictures.  Shit did I bring the guys' jerseys to get signed?  Oh right, those are the only things in my backpack....  Wait what about a marker?!  Oh, right here in my back pocket.  Should I ask Dr. Zoe what the symptoms of ADD are?

I approach the main entrance of the stadium.  It looks weird when it's not swarming with energetic soccer fans.  It's too quiet, like a ghost town.  There aren't even very many security guards.  And the ones that are here are probably only here because the Scouts' practices are closed to the public so _someone_ has to keep everyone out.

The one guard standing at the main entrance stops me at the gate.

"Uh, I called Erwin Smith yesterday and-"

"ID," the man interrupts, his face bored.  I guess I would be bored too if my job was to stand in one spot with nothing to do but twiddle my dick all day long.

I pull my wallet out of my backpack and flip it open to my ID.  He reads the name, then nods and lets me pass.  I hurry into the empty stadium.  The team is out on the field with a number of coaches and other staff.  There is also a lot of equipment on the field as well.  My eyes immediately scan for Levi, and it takes me a minute to find him considering everyone is laying on the ground.  The practice started only half an hour ago, so they must still be doing their stretches.  When they all sit up, moving their legs straight out in front of them and reaching for their toes, I see Levi in the back of the rows, talking with Mike Zacharias to his left.  He doesn't notice me, so I look around and raise my camera, taking pictures of the oddly empty stadium.  That's when I see Smith sitting in one of the stadium seats in the second row, talking to a bald man with a bushy grey mustache and wrinkles under his eyes.  Not knowing what to do, I stand there like a loser, digging my toe in the grass.

Erwin stands up and walks down the few steps to get down to the field.  I'm surprised when he starts to make his way towards me, and I look away, at anything else, trying to make it seem like I hadn't been staring at him.  I almost start whistling, but that would make me look even more suspicious, wouldn't it?  So instead I fiddle with my camera.

"You're that photographer.  The one Levi tackled a few weeks ago," Erwin says from right at my side, and I look up at him quickly.

This is the first time I've been so close to the head coach.  He's taller than I thought he was, although that shouldn't surprise me because when he's standing next to Levi he looks like a tree.  And he's actually surprisingly handsome.  Well... in a weird eyebrow kind of way.  If you like that kind of thing.

"Uh, yes, sir," I reply.

"So you're the one that Levi invited to attend our practices?" he questions.  "Very interesting."

That surprises me a little bit, and I can't stop myself from asking, "What's interesting about that?"

He hesitates, obviously thinking about how to answer.  "Don't get me wrong, Levi is a good man, he's just very... distant.  He's unapproachable and quiet.  He doesn't have hardly any friends outside of the team.  I'm just curious as to why he invited you."

"Oi," a voice suddenly calls.  It's a familiar, velvety, sexy voice.

Erwin turns and I look up to see Levi jogging towards us.  He's not wearing his uniform, which I guess is expected, because it's just a practice, and why would he wear his uniform to a practice?  That would be silly and I'm rambling in my own head because Levi scrambles my brain and Jesus how pathetic is this?

"So you finally decided to show up," Levi says, stepping up beside Erwin.  "I was starting to think that you were rejecting my offer."

"Sorry, today was the first practice I could make," I apologize.  He noticed I wasn't here?  That means he was looking for me.  Holy crap I think my heart is about to explode.  Was he disappointed that I wasn't here?  He kind of sounds like it.  Why are my cheeks so warm?

"I don't really care," he dismisses me.  But he has a frown on his face and he's staring at a spot just above my right eye.  Why is he staring at-  "What happened to your eye?  Did you get mugged or something?"

Oh right.  The wonderful bruise that decided it was going to form today of all days, and in the most attractive place.

"Oh, it's nothing.  Something stupid," I tell him, trying to quickly come up with a plausible explanation that's not the truth.  "I ran into a post."

He rolls his eyes at me.  "Of course you did, brat."

I nod, but then hesitate as what he said sinks in.  "Hey!  What is that supposed to mean?"

He snorts.  "You're always covered in bruises.  So I take it running into posts is a regular occurrence for you."

"Oh..." I exhale.  "Kind of."

He raises an eyebrow at me, crossing his arms over his chest.  "Kind of?  How do you kind of regularly run into posts?"

"I... uh..."  I'm digging myself into a deeper and deeper hole and I can tell Ackerman is really enjoying doing this to me.  Oh my god, my idol is actually toying with me.  If I wasn't so embarrassed I'd think this was really, _really_ cool.

I look to Erwin to save me but he's not there.  He's gone.  I find him standing out on the field with the rest of the team, calling out instructions.  When the hell did he leave?  I didn't even notice.  Levi takes a step back from me.

"Make yourself comfortable," he tells me, gesturing to the endless rows of empty seats in the stadium.  "Feel free to talk to people, take pictures, or whatever."

I lift my camera and take a quick picture of him.  He raises an eyebrow at me before shaking his head with a roll of his eyes and turning to jog back out onto the field.  I watch him retreat, then as he lunges for a ball that shoots by him.  He stops it with a foot and juggles it for a second, throwing in some very fancy footwork before launching it back across the field towards Church.  I roll my eyes.  What a show off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chill Eren, you're sounding like a total creep.
> 
> Okay, so for all the hemophilia parts, I've been doing shittons of research to get it as accurate as possible, but unfortunately I'm not finding many helpful sources. Everything I'm finding is articles for mothers taking care of children with hemophilia, which only helps so much. So sorry if anything is inaccurate. It's not an on-purpose, I swear! *yes I did just reference my own fic* *crickets*


	4. Local Art Show Has Impressive Turnout!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren's first practice and the art show. Little bit of a slow chapter, but more relationship building between my two cuties. Oh! And the next chapter will open with Levi's POV! :D

**Eren**

Practices are even crazier than the matches are.  During a match, there is only one soccer ball to follow and exciting things are only happening around that one ball.  But right now there are at least a dozen balls being kicked around, and I realize very quickly that there is no way I can follow all of them.  I end up focusing mostly on Levi as he practices with his other forwards, Jinn, Church, Bozado, and Shultz.  But most of the time, he just practices with the backup strikers, Jinn and Church.  I take hundreds of pictures of them, and also dozens of pictures of the other players as well.

I mostly hover around the sidelines, next to the long bench.  Most of the players seem pretty sociable, and they talk to me as they come to the bench to sit and get water.  I manage to get Church, Schultz, and Zacharias to sign the jerseys in my backpack.  Although, I'm a little weirded out when Mike sniffs me before he takes the jersey and my marker.  Okay then... that wasn't awkward at all.

Levi watches me pull out all these jerseys from my backpack with a curious expression.  I quickly explain that they're my friends' jerseys, and he just shrugs, taking another swig from his water bottle.

"So are you enjoying the practice?" Levi asks, gesturing for me to sit on the bench next to him.  I oblige, my heart doing that thing where it goes nuts in my chest.  When will I get used to these encounters with Ackerman?  But why Ackerman?  Why am I not like this with any of the other players?  I mean, it's so cool being surrounded by all of them, talking to them, and legitimately hanging out with them, but none of them make my heart do weird things like Levi does.

"Yeah," I reply.  "It's very different.  There's so much going on, I can't focus on anything."

He laughs at me and I shoot him a glare.  "Why does that not surprise me?"

"It should," I retort with a frown, although it probably looks more like a pout.  "You barely know me."

"You're right," he agrees with a small smirk.  "I don't know you.  And as much as the public thinks they know me, they don't."

Wow, that was kind of deep.  His words coupled with the look in his eyes makes me wonder what it is he's hiding from the rest of the world.  What great secret is he forced to cover up?

"Our break is coming up soon.  Are you going to stick around for the afternoon block?" he asks me.

"I'd like to, but... I have other plans," I reply.  "I'm in an art show tonight, and I need to prepare.  And I have some other art projects I need to work on."

"You're in an art show?" he asks, looking surprised.  "Congrats, kid.  For your photography?"

"No, paintings actually.  I don't really do photography except for Trost Daily."

He nods.  "So you're an artist.  That's one more thing I know about you now.  I can add that to the list, underneath that you work for the press and kind of regularly run into posts."

I roll my eyes at him.  "I'm glad I could educate you on my boring life," I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I wouldn't call that educated.  I still barely know you."  He looks up when one of the coaches, a man Levi told me was the offensive coach, Dot Pixis, calls the forwards together.  He stands and tosses his water bottle onto the bench.  "You'll have to educate me further."

He jogs out onto the field without another word, leaving me sitting shocked on the bench.  My jaw is hanging open and I'm sure I'm going to catch a fly or two if I don't shut it soon.  Did he really just say that?  And did he mean what I think he meant?  Does he really want to get to know me better?  Why?  Why me?  Why does mister star of a professional soccer team want to know more about me?  What could possibly have drawn his interest in me?

I'm confused for the rest of the block, and when it comes time for me to leave, I really don't want to.  Levi remains out on the field for the rest of the block, so it's not like I can even ask him these questions, or ask him if he meant what I thought he meant.  I could just be imagining things.  That might have just been an innocent statement with no meaning behind it.  But it might not have.

So it's these thoughts that are swirling around in my head as I pedal home.  The apartment is empty when I arrive, which doesn't help.  I need to talk to people.  I need to distract myself by bugging Armin while he tries to study or make obnoxious comments about the movie Mikasa is watching.  Mikasa has work at the coffee shop until five, and Armin's weekend shifts at the hospital are usually until three, but it's already almost three thirty, so maybe he's working late today.

God, it's only three thirty.  I still have five and a half hours until the show starts.  Well, plenty of time to get working on my watercolor project that's due on Monday.  But I feel totally uninspired.  To paint anything other than a certain infuriatingly mysterious striker for the Scouts, that is.  Maybe I _will_ just paint him.  Hopefully Hannes won't be bothered by the fact that Ackerman has been the subject of most of my assignments this last month.

That being decided, I set up my easel with a fresh canvas and pull out all my watercolors and brushes.  I find a good picture on my laptop of Ackerman leaping for a ball with a player from the other team and print it out, taping it to the upper left hand corner of the easel.  Quickly changing into my old, tattered Scouts tee, I pull up my stool and begin painting.

Armin comes home some time while my subconscious is distracted by my art, and I vaguely remember saying hello.  I think he was telling me how his shift went at the hospital, but I don't remember any of it.  I'm in the zone, focused entirely on the canvas, my mind lost in the colors.  It's when Mikasa comes home around five thirty and literally drags me out of the stool and towards the bathroom that I come back to the here and now.  She instructs me to take a shower and get dressed for the show, because apparently we're going out to dinner on our way to the gallery.  She also tells me that we're meeting my parents at the restaurant.  That makes me frown, and I pull my phone out of my pocket.  Four missed calls, one from Mikasa and three from my mother.  Oops.

As I strip out of my clothes to get in the shower, I remember my reason for diving into a painting.  It had distracted me from the Scouts practice and everything that had happened there.  All of Levi's ribbing and mocking and confusing statements come swarming back into my head.  What did he mean?!  He couldn't possibly want to get to know me better.  Why?  What does he see in me?  Me, a bruised, most likely ADD college student who works for the press.

I shake my head and water splatters the glass door and tile of the shower.  Fretting over all of these questions won't result in answers.  They'll just drive me crazy.  I need to forget about them until the next time I get to see him.  When will that be?  Well they won't have practice tomorrow, so Monday.  I'll go to their morning practice, but I have an afternoon shift at the coffee shop.  I'll ask him then.  Maybe.  If I can work up the nerve.  He's so... intimidating.  I can't remember how to words around him.

I force him from my mind as I finish showering and head into my room with a towel wrapped around my waist.  I stare at the clothes in my closet for a long minute.  I don't have a suit.  So what do I wear?  Hmm....  I have some button downs, and I think I have one pair of black slacks.  That's going to have to do.  I pull on a deep red button down, then hunt down the slacks.  Armin enters the room while I'm riffling through my dresser and half-heartedly covers his eyes.

"Don't be a prude.  We've seen each other in our underwear before," I tease over my shoulder.

I find the slacks and pull them on.  My hands are shaking as I button them up.  Armin notices since he's only half-heartedly covering his eyes.

"Are you nervous?" he asks with a small smile.

"Yeah, I guess I am," I say with a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of my neck.

"It'll be just fine," he promises me with a beaming smile.  "You don't have to present anything, right?  You're just going so you can see your work hanging in the gallery, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm still nervous for some reason.  I mean, my work will be hanging in an actual gallery.  And judges will be looking at it.  And judging it.  They'll be judging _me_.  Judging... with their judging eyes...."

"Well they _are_ judges," Armin points out with an amused smirk.

"I know _that_ ," I exhale, running a hand through my unruly hair.  Wait... should I try to do something with my hair?  It's a mess, but it's always a mess.  I've tried to fix it up before and every time I've failed miserably.  But should I try again?  There are going to be important people there.  ... nah.

Armin gets dressed and the three of us head out to Armin's car.  Neither Mikasa nor I have a car, but Armin does.  I remember, as we're leaving, to snag my medical alert bracelet and loop the chain around my wrist.  If my mother sees me without it, she'll kill me.  It wouldn't even be hard.  Just give me a little paper cut and watch me bleed out on the restaurant floor.  No one will even know I'm dying because I won't have my medical alert bracelet on to tell them that I'm dying.

We climb into the back seat of Armin's Honda, and my foot taps on the floor in the back seat as we make our way down the streets towards whatever restaurant we're eating at.  Armin pulls into the parking lot of a small Italian restaurant.  I immediately recognize my father's BMW a few parking spots away.  I get nervous again for a whole new reason.  I forgot all about having to impress my father tonight.  I don't know what I'll do if he's unimpressed with my exhibits.  I try not to care about what my father thinks, but a part of me does care.

I follow Mikasa and Armin into the restaurant and start to look around for my parents.  I don't see them at first and start to ask Armin if he's found them yet when-

"Eren, baby!"

My face is pressed into a soft shoulder and arms are wrapped tightly around me.  The smell is familiar and I sigh, returning my mother's hug.

"I missed you too, Mom," I tell her.

She pulls back from me and gasps.  Oh right, the bruise over my right eye.

"My poor baby.  Are you having trouble with your bruising, dear?" she asks, looking over my eye.  "When is your next appointment with Dr. Zoe?"

"Next Friday.  This is nothing worse than normal," I tell her.

"I think it makes him look tough."

I look past my mom to see my father walking up to me.  He looks over my eye with the speed and efficiency of a doctor, then snorts.  "It's just normal bruising.  Come, let's all sit down and order."

I exhale sharply.  He doesn't seem disappointed in me.  He doesn't seem upset.  He seems happy and like his normal self.  Maybe this won't be so bad.

The dinner continues comfortably enough.  Most of the conversation is between Dad and Armin about medical things that completely fly over my head.  I talk with Mom about my life in general, and I tell her about my new gig photographing the Scouts' home matches.  For some reason I don't feel like telling her about getting invited to their practices.  It just feels too... private.

When we finish eating, we leave the restaurant and part ways in the parking lot.  Mikasa and I climb into Armin's car and my parents follow us onto the main street and towards the gallery.  I start to get nervous again, fidgeting with the medical alert bracelet around my wrist.  Why am I so nervous?  Armin was right.  I don't have to present anything, I don't have to speak, all I'm doing is looking at my art hanging in an actual, professional art gallery.  No big deal.  I laugh at myself.  Yeah right.  My art is hanging in an actual, professional art gallery!  Breathe, Jaeger, breathe.

When we get to the gallery, my heart feels like it's about to leap out of my throat.  Sasha and Connie are right near the entrance, and we make a beeline for them.  It calms me a little to see some other familiar faces.  Power in numbers, right?  We start to head deeper into the gallery, but then I see Professor Hannes in the front lobby talking with some other old people.  I quickly approach him.

"Eren!" he greets with a smile.  "I'm glad you could make it.  Are these your parents?"

I look back over my shoulder to see everyone standing there.  "Yes," I reply with a nod.  "My mother, Carla, my father, Grisha, and my two roommates, Armin and Mikasa."  I point to each as I introduce them.  "Guys, this is my art professor, Professor Hannes."

He shakes all their hands, then looks back at me.  "Come.  I'll show you where your paintings are."

I nod and we all follow him through the gallery, Connie and Sasha as well, through the numerous hallways lined with dozens of paintings each.  Some are small, like the Mona Lisa, and others are huge floor to ceiling canvases.  The halls are filled with people, some young, others older, and even others dressed in fancy suits and dresses carrying clipboards.  Those must be the judges, and I get nervous all over again.  Looking around at the paintings we pass by, I start to worry.  Mine aren't nearly as good as a lot of these.  Oh well.  This is my first time ever entered into a contest.  I shouldn't expect much.

Professor Hannes turns into the next hallway and stops about half way down.  There on the wall, sitting side by side are my two paintings.  They each have their own little placards underneath with the names of the paintings and no other information.  That must be for the sake of hiding the artists identities from the judges.  _A Grim Reminder_ and _The Forest of Giant Trees._   Hannes helped me out with those names.  I wanted to do something really stupid and name them _Big Ass Wall_ and _Big Ass Trees_ , but thankfully Hannes managed to convince me otherwise.

"Wow, these are really good, sweetie!" my mom says, ruffling my hair.

I grumble under my breath, pulling away from her.  I try to fix my mop of hair, but there isn't much to fix.  It was already an untamable mess.

"I have to agree, Eren.  I didn't realize how talented you were," my dad says, and those words make me freeze.

I turn to look at him with wide eyes.  My mouth is hanging open, and I snap it closed quickly before I catch any flies.  Did he really just say that?  About my art?  I'm stunned beyond belief.  All I was hoping for was no criticism on my choice of majors.  But I was never expecting praise.

"Uhm... thanks, Dad," I say with a genuine smile.

"I still wish you had chosen a major other than art, but I will admit that you are very talented," he says, and my over-the-moon mood deflates.

"Thanks, Dad," I grumble.

"Eren really is a talented artist," Hannes says, coming to my rescue.  "He has so much promise for someone so young.  He'll go far in his art career."

I can't help the smile that pulls at my lips.  At least _someone_ supports me.

Hannes takes his leave, and invites us to check out the rest of the artwork in the halls.  The seven of us wander through the halls, and I recognize a handful of the paintings as works done by some students in my class.  We run into Jean and Marco in one hallway, and they join our little entourage.  After nearly an hour of roaming the halls, I'm about to ask if everyone is ready to call it a night when I see a familiar head of blond hair down the hall.  I debate on whether I should go over and greet him for a minute before I decide why the hell not?

"I'll be right back," I tell the others, then hurry down the hall and around the corner where I saw the blond disappear.

I round the corner to see him standing with another familiar person.  They're both looking over a painting, and I suddenly realize that it's mine.  Somehow we've circled back around to the hallway my paintings are hung up in.

"Coach Smith?" I call to the tall man, walking up to him and his companion, Mr. Pixis, I think his name was.

The two older men turn to look at me.  One of Erwin's thick eyebrows raises in curiosity, then he lifts a finger to his lips in a shushing fashion.

"Please, call me Erwin, especially in public," he says.  "I'm lucky enough that my face is not so publicly recognizable, unlike the players' faces, but my name is."

"Oh, sorry," I apologize sheepishly.

"No worries," he chuckles, and I swear his voice is so deep and sexual that it should be illegal.  Hot damn.  "So what are you doing here?  You look very nice, by the way."

I glance down at my clothing of choice and feel a tinge of color grace my cheeks.  God damn it.  What's wrong with me?  This man has to be like, twice my age.  It'd be like jumping into bed with my dad.  Oh god.  All the tingling feelings below my belt disappear instantly at the though.  Besides, I'd much rather jump into bed with Levi Ackerman than Coach Erwin Smith.  And they're back.

"Uh, thank you," I reply, looking back up at him.  "I'm actually in the art contest.  These are mine."

The two men follow my pointing finger to the two paintings on the wall and Erwin hums an impressed sound and Pixis' eyes widen slightly.

"You're quite talented," Pixis says with a smile, the skin under his eyes wrinkling.  "Erwin and I were just admiring this one, _The Forest of Giant Trees._   Very detailed.  Very... ominous."

"Thank you," I say with a small smile.  "So what are you two doing here?"

"We have a very fine appreciation for art," Erwin replies with a smile.  "Pixis often buys a few works whenever we come to these shows.  Levi likes to as well on very rare occasions."

My breath catches and, god why am I such blushing schoolgirl, but my heart skips a beat as well.  "Is Levi here?"

Erwin frowns and looks around.  "He should be here somewhere.  He went his separate way when we arrived, but I doubt he's left yet.  We haven't been here long."

I look around too, but I don't see him.  I say my goodbyes to Erwin and Pixis and hurry down the halls.  I don't dare run, but I weave my way through the numerous halls and the groups of people, looking for a familiar black undercut and fascinating grey eyes.  I don't see him, and I'm about to give up when I do a double take towards the end of one of the halls.  A short man is standing there, arms crossed over his chest, looking over a painting.  He's dressed in black skinny jeans and a black blazer with a collared white shirt underneath.  His eyes are hidden by a pair of dark sunglasses and he wears a dark grey beanie on his head to hide his tell-tale undercut.  If hadn't met Levi up close and personal a handful of times, I never would have guessed that this man is him, but that scowl on his lips and the way he stands completely gives him away to me.  I hurry down the hall.

"Levi?" I say as I approach him.

He looks over at me quickly, then his scowl deepens.  I really wish I could see his eyes.  They're so much more revealing.  "Don't say my name in public," I retorts, turning back to look at the painting.

"Sorry," I murmur.  Coach Smith just told me the same thing, so I should've known not to do it with Levi as well.

"I was actually hoping I'd run into you here," he says after a moment.

My eyes widen at that statement.  "Y-You were?"  Damn it, a stutter?  I've talked to him before.  I should be over this nervousness I feel every time I'm around him.  I'm starting to wonder if it'll ever go away.

"You told me this morning that you were in an art show, and then I overheard Erwin and Pixis talking about attending this art show tonight, and I asked to tag along hoping you were all talking about the same art show," he explains, looking over at me.  Again, I find myself wishing I could see his eyes.  Before I can ask him why, he asks a question of his own.  "So which one of these are yours?" he asks, gesturing to the painting in front of him with his chin.

"Mine are the two in Hall Thirteen, the ones with-"

"Show me," he says, interrupting me.

I nod and start to lead him down the halls.  He walks by my side, not saying a word, his hands buried in the pockets of his blazer.  He looks around at the paintings, and it feels like he's glancing over at me every once in a while, but I can't tell with those sunglasses on.  When we reach the hall where my paintings are hanging and I point them out to him, he slides his sunglasses down his nose to get a proper look at them.  I watch his eyes as they look over my work, taking in every flicker of emotion, even though it's not much.

"These are actually really good, brat," he says, and... wait a second, is he surprised?!

"Uh, thanks?  Why do you sound so surprised?" I frown.

He shrugs, glancing sideways at me.  His eyes burn with amusement, and I catch it before his gaze quickly shifts back to the painting.  It makes my heart do stupid things in my chest.  I'll ask again: why am I such a blushing schoolgirl?

"So, uh, why were you hoping to see me here?" I question as Levi slides his sunglasses back up the bridge of his nose.

He shrugs, his eyes still turned on my painting.  At least I think they are.  Stupid sunglasses....  "I was just curious.  I wanted to see your work."

I have a feeling that's not the only reason, but I don't say anything else.  I don't want to push my luck with him.  At any moment, he could decide that he's too famous to be seen with me and totally leave me high and dry.  So I keep my mouth shut and simply nod.

"I guess I also wanted to tell you that after our next home match, Erwin, Mike, and I are going to be holding a press conference at the stadium.  We'll be addressing our performance this season since playoffs are coming up.  I'm sure whatever the fuck magazine you work for will already be sending a reporter-"

"Trost Daily," I interrupt him.  "And it's a newspaper."

He looks over at me and I can just imagine the look that's probably in his eyes.  "-but I can get you a pass to get in if you'd like to observe," he continues, still looking at me, most likely glaring.

"Oh, that'd be cool!" I say in excitement.  "I'd definitely like to go if you can get me in."

He nods.  "I'll get you a pass.  Next week and the following week are away matches, so it'll be the week after."

"Got it," I nod, a huge grin on my face.  Why is he going through this trouble?  Why is he inviting me to all of these things?  My mind immediately jumps back to my previous assumption, that it's only because he thinks I'm being abused.  I guess it bothers me a little that he would do all of this for me for that reason alone, but at the same time it's cool to think that he cares about my wellbeing enough to go through the effort and trouble of inviting me everywhere.  Maybe our relationship can grow into something more than acquaintances?  More than him just trying to separate me from an assumed abuser?  It'd be cool if we could actually become friends.  Because seriously, how cool would it be to be friends with Levi Ackerman?

"Can I ask you a question?" I find myself asking.  I regret it an instant later though.  Why do I always have to open my big mouth?

He sighs.  "The press conference hasn't started yet brat," he retorts.  "So don't ask me questions."

I pout and he exhales.  He probably rolled his eyes at me too.  Jerk.  He doesn't say anything else though as he looks back at my paintings.

"These really are good, Eren," he says after a long minute of sort of awkward silence.  "You're very talented.  Keep doing whatever it is you're doing.  It's obviously working for you."

"Thank you," I say, trying to fight the blush that threatens to creep onto my face.  Levi Ackerman is actually complimenting my art.  _Levi Ackerman_ thinks I'm talented.  My brain is having a hard time processing this fact.

He takes a step back and starts down the hall.  It's only then that I realize it's completely empty except for us.  I start to follow him, but I get a feeling that he doesn't want me to, so I stay standing where he left me in front of my paintings.

"I'll see you at practice Monday," he says with a wave over his shoulder.

"Uh, yeah," is all I can say in response as I watch him disappear from sight.

Okay, so that was all kinds of weird.  Why can't that man do anything that's normal?  And why can't he just answer my questions and tell me why he's so seemingly interested in my company?  I'm just a brat, as he likes to call me.  A noisy brat.  But he continues to surprise me with little acts like this one.

Deciding not to dwell on the whole encounter too much, I head through the hallways, looking for the group that I had abandoned.  I find them again, this time with the addition of Reiner and Bertolt.  I show them my paintings, and after a headlock from Reiner with compliments mixed in, the entire group of us ends up just talking in front of the paintings.  I sort of keep an eye out for Levi or Erwin or Pixis, but I don't see them at all, for which I'm actually kind of grateful.

My parents dismiss themselves after a little while, deciding that they better start heading home so they don't get back too late.  I hug them goodbye, then the rest of us decide to head to Maria Bar and get some drinks.  Yeah, a couple of beers after this crazy day sounds like a really good idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw, when Eren says that he 'can't remember how to words' around Levi? I meant to write it like that. I didn't leave out a word or anything. Didn't know if that would come across like that or not. That's just something I say when I have trouble speaking. "I forgot how to words".
> 
> Anyways, you can find me on [Tumblr](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/) and I'm now tracking the tag "fic: fotp"


	5. Everyone Disappointed Over No-Shows!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shitty chapter title. I couldn't find anything that sounded right, so I settled for that... XP
> 
> Yay Levi POV! There's a little bit of bouncing back and forth between POVs in this fic, so I'm sorry if that bothers any of you. I'll try to avoid it as much as possible in future chapters. Levi wasn't originally supposed to have many POV sections, but as I kept writing, he kept demanding to have POV sections, so yeah there will be a bit of jumping around from here on out. Just a warning.
> 
> [titaneren-jaeger](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/) on tumblr

**Levi**

Sitting alone in my apartment, I think over the night.  I swirl the whisky around in my glass, not really drinking it.  The television is on, casting the only light in the dark room, but I'm not really paying attention to that either.  I've long since put it on mute.  It's that brat that has all of my attention at the moment.

I don't even know what it is about Eren in particular that's making me do things I never would've dreamed of doing before I met him.  At first it was all because of those bruises on him.  I don't know why they worried me, but they did.  It was those bruises that caught my attention in the beginning, but now there's something more.  Now that I'm getting a glimpse at the person beneath those bruises, something about him just... fascinates me.

Usually I make it a point not to get attached to anyone outside of my team.  I stay as much out of the public eye as I can.  Because I hold a secret that I can't let anyone know.  If it got out that I am gay, it'd ruin my career.  That's bullshit, if you ask me, but unfortunately that's how the world works.  Nobody wants to find out that their idol is gay.  That doesn't stop me from going to bars more often than I'd like to admit to pick up guys though.  Hey, did you think I became a nun as soon as I got recruited into the Scouts where public eyes suddenly turned on me?  Fuck that.  But my wonderful agent, Isabel, always catches my sexual partners as they leave my apartment and forces them to sign a confidentiality agreement.  Is it foolproof?  No, but it's worked thus far.

I don't know why Eren has captured my interests, but he has, and in a way no one's ever captured my interests before.  Usually when I'm interested in a guy, I invite them back to my place, we fuck, then I kick them out never to see them again.  But for some reason, that's the last thing I want to do to Eren.  Don't get me wrong, I want nothing more than to fuck that perfect ass into next week, to watch him squirm underneath me as I thoroughly dominate him, to hear that sweet voice cry my name... but my usual methods are for some reason unacceptable to me when it comes to him.  Why is that, I wonder?  He looks so sweet and innocent.  Do I not want to destroy that innocence?  Oh god, do I want to destroy that innocence.   That can't be the reason.  It must be something else.

I hear the elevator stop on my floor, and hear the doors slide open.  I take a sip of my whiskey.  I know exactly who it is.  Not many people have a key for my floor.  The lights flick on and I wince at the sudden brightness that fills the front room of my apartment.  My apartment is the entire floor of a downtown apartment complex.  I'm pretty sure an actor lives on the floor above me, and a singer on the floor below me.  This area has a lot of well known people.

Heels click into the room and I hear her place plastic bags on the kitchen island.  I stay still, not calling her attention to my presence, considering I don't think she noticed I'm here yet.

I hear her exhale sharply, and her heels make their way over towards where I'm sitting.

"When will that pipsqueak learn to turn off the damn television before he leaves?" she grumbles to herself.

"Pipsqueak?" I question as she rounds the couch to look for the remote.

Isabel squeals, one hand presses against her chest over her heart.  Her eyes are wide as they fall on me sitting on the couch.

"Jesus, Levi!  You scared me!  Why were you sitting in the dark?"

I shrug, taking another swallow of whiskey.  "It wasn't dark.  The TV was on," I say, gesturing to the muted TV.

She rolls her eyes at me.  "I thought you'd still be at the art show.  Did you leave early?"  She passes me to grab the remote and switch off the television.  Her eyes fall back on me and she looks me over, dressed only in a pair of black boxers, and her eyes go wide and a little worried.  "You don't have someone here, do you?  Do I need to leave?"

I shake my head.

Now she looks even more worried, but for a completely different reason.  "You haven't had anyone over in a long time.  Is everything okay?"

Is it bad that your agent gets worried about you when you _don't_ have strange men traipsing in and out of your apartment every other night?  Well, knowing me, I'd be worried too.  It is quite unusual.  But I haven't had any sexual partners since I met Eren over a month ago.  Wow... it's been a month since I've gotten laid....  How terrible.

"Everything is fine," I tell her, deciding not to explain.  I don't know if even _I_ know the reason behind that.  I just know that it started around the time I met that brat.

She lets it drop and heads back into the kitchen.  "I bought your groceries, and I took your uniforms to the dry cleaner.  Oh, I also called Erwin to let him know you won't be at practice Monday."

I frown, sitting up and looking back over my shoulder at her.  "Remind me why that is again?"

"You have a photo shoot," she says, then sighs.  "Don't tell me you forgot."

My frown deepens and I get to my feet, heading into the kitchen to top off my whiskey.  "I forgot.  Now, is this a 'I use this brand of whatever so you should too' photo shoot, or a 'here's a picture of me in a Speedo for you to masturbate to' photo shoot?"

She gives me a nervous look, and that's all the answer I need.

"Of course it is..." I exhale, taking a long swallow of the whiskey.  It burns as it trails down my throat.  "Alright.  I'll try and remember to go to that."  I down the rest of the whiskey and head towards my bedroom.

Closing the door behind me, I hesitate, running a hand through my hair.  I totally forgot that I had a photo shoot on Monday.  I really wouldn't care so much except that I told the brat I would see him on Monday.  Why does that even bother me?  I have no idea, but it does.  And I don't even have a way of warning him that I won't be there.  Oh well.  It's not like he goes to those practices just to see me, right?  I'm sure he'd go either way.

I snort, falling back onto my bed.  Who am I kidding?  Of course that brat only goes to the practices to see me.  I can tell that the kid is totally awestruck by me.  He idolizes me.  But I'm used to it.  I've worked hard to get where I am, and where I am earns me a lot of attention, and a lot of fans.  Eren is definitely one of those fans.  I wonder how much of a fan he is?  Does he watch every single match I play in?  Does he have my poster on his wall?  Does he masturbate to my image?  Hmm, I'm definitely curious.  Our conversation this morning at practice comes back to me, and I think over what I said to him.  I told him that he'll have to educate me further about himself.  And I find that I really do want to know more about him.

That thought makes me frown.  This kid is getting under my skin and that's not good.  I can't get attached to him.  I really shouldn't be indulging in my need to be around the brat, but I feel like it's something I won't be able to help.  The brat has already infiltrated my hard, unapproachable exterior, and it doesn't look like he'll be going anywhere anytime soon.

 

**Eren**

Monday after my last class lets out, I make my way to Trost Stadium.  This whole situation with Levi is still confusing me, but it doesn't deter me from wanting to hang out with him.  I know going to watch him practice isn't really hanging out with him, but I get to see him and talk to him a little, so it counts.  Totally counts.

But when I get to the stadium, he's not there.  I eye all of the people on the field carefully, but the short center forward isn't among them.  Huh.  I wonder where he is.  Why isn't he at practice like everyone else?  Is he sick?  He doesn't seem like the kind of person that would get sick.  Is he-

"Levi isn't here today," a familiar, sexy voice says from behind me.  Oh my god I need to stop thinking about Erwin Smith like that.  He's my dad's age.  It'd be like fucking my dad.  He's my dad's age.  It'd be like _fucking_ my _dad_.  I repeat the mantra over and over as I turn around to greet Tall, Ripped, and Handsome.  Fuck....

"Where is he?"

"Not here," he repeats with a small smile.  "He has some other business to attend to.  Feel free to stick around if you'd like though."

I nod and Erwin leaves without another word, heading out to the field.  I take a handful of pictures of his retreating back.  It'd be an understatement to say that I'm disappointed that Levi isn't here.  But oh well.  He's not the only reason I like coming to these practices, right?

Yeah fucking right.  Of course he is.  Because I've got such a schoolgirl crush on him.  With a heavy sigh, I lift my view finder back to my eye and start snapping pictures of all the other players on the field, because, well, I guess they're important too....

...

I leave after only an hour or two at the stadium.  Back at the apartment, I'm laying on my back on my bed, staring up at the ceiling and wondering what Erwin could possibly mean by Levi having 'other business to attend to'.  What other business could Levi possibly have?  I mean, he's a professional soccer player.  Don't professional athletes just eat, sleep, and shit their sport?  That's all the tabloids ever show them doing.  Well, that and beating their wives.  But Levi doesn't have a wife.  He doesn't have any sort of significant other, at least as far as the tabloids know.

I need to leave soon for my shift at the coffee shop, so I guess I can think about Levi and his possession of a personal life that doesn't involve soccer later.  With a sigh that makes it seem like I'm getting ready to face my executioner, I drag myself off the bed and hunt down my work uniform.  It's here somewhere, amidst the piles of dirty clothes on my half of the bedroom.  I probably should wash it.  I can't remember the last time I did.  When I find it and smell it though, I can definitely say that it's been a while.  Gross.

Pulling on my uniform, I hurry out of the apartment and out to my bike.  I make it to the coffee shop about ten minutes early, and just as I'm locking up my bike, my phone starts to vibrate in my pocket.  I fish it out and glance at the screen.  The number on the caller ID is unknown, so with a frown I answer the call.

"Yellow."

 _"Hi, Eren, it's Hannes,"_ Professor Hannes' voice says from the other end of the line.

"Oh, hi, professor," I smile.

 _"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything, but the results of the art show were just released, and I wanted to let you know as soon as possible,"_ he says.

My heart starts to race and I feel my palms get a little clammy.  Jeez, calm down.  I'm not expecting to win anything.  This was my first art show after all.  So calm the fuck down, Jaeger.

I take a deep breath.  "Awesome.  How did I do?" I ask, trying not to sound as nervous as I feel.  I hesitate at the doors of the coffee shop, waiting to enter until after I finish this call.

 _"_ The Forest of Giant Trees _got an honorable mention,"_ he tells me, and I can hear the smile in his voice.  _"I know that's not a place, but-"_

"That's awesome!" I cheer.  Fuck, an honorable mention?!  At my first art show?  There were hundreds of pieces in the painting category alone, and only ten awards were given out: three places and seven honorable mentions.  That's fucking fantastic!  I punch at the air with a loud whoop.

Hannes laughs.  _"I'm glad you can see that as the accomplishment that it is.  Congratulations, Eren."_

"Thanks, Professor Hannes!  I totally owe you one for even getting me into this show."

_"It was my pleasure, kid."_

"I have to go, my shift is about to start at work, but oh my god thank you!"

I hang up the call, then immediately open up my messages to send one to Armin as I enter the shop.  I click on his name in the contacts, then type out my message.

**To: Armin Arlert**  
**OMG I GOT AN HONORABLE MENTION!!!!! THATS TOP 10 OF OVER 300!!!!**  
**2:56 PM**

I send the same message to Mikasa before pocketing my cell phone.  With a goofy grin on my face, I grab my apron and get ready to clock on.  I'm humming to myself as I get to work.  I keep glancing at my phone, waiting for a response, and it's not long before I get one from Armin.

**From: Armin Arlert**  
**That's wonderful! We should go out and celebrate!**  
**3:09 PM**

Although a party on a Monday night when we all have classes Tuesday morning probably isn't the best idea, I quickly agree and he replies with the promise to set everything up and invite everyone.  It's not too much longer that I get a message from Mikasa, congratulating me as well.  I'm so excited about this that it almost distracts me from my disappointment at not being able to see Levi this morning at practice.  But... now that my mind is back on him, I can't help but think....  Would he be proud of my honorable mention too?

I laugh at myself.  Of course he wouldn't.  He wouldn't even care.  Where did that thought even come from?  Remember Jaeger?  Light years.  Light years out of your league.  Light years from caring how you do at an art show.

...

The next few weeks pass by uneventfully.  The Scouts have two away matches back to back, which kind of sucks.  But I go to as many practices as I can in order to watch Levi play.  It's becoming so much less entertaining watching him on the television when he plays an away match.  Nothing can compare anymore to seeing him play live right in front of my eyes.  It's just the way he handles the ball is so fascinating and beautiful.  It loses something, watching it on a small screen.

So I get my fill of watching Levi play while at practices, and find myself so anxious for the next home match, the one that will be followed by the press conference.  I'm actually kind of excited for that too.  I never watch the press conferences on television, only because they're kind of boring.  But maybe watching one in real life will be more fun?  Honestly I just agreed because Levi invited me.  I think he could invite me anywhere and I'd go without hesitation.  Is that sad?  Yeah, that's kind of sad.

Finally, _finally_ , after nearly three weeks of absolute boredom, the Sunday night of the match rolls around.  The match is at seven tonight, and I glance at my phone for the millionth time today to see that it's almost four o'clock.  I've been ready to leave for hours, my excitement eating me alive.  Levi told me to get to the stadium a little early today so he could give me the pass that will get me into the press conference later.  Even to get there early, I still don't have to leave for another hour, but maybe I will leave now anyway.  I just can't wait any longer!  I'm going to explode!

I finally make up my mind to wait another half an hour and get something to eat in the meantime when my phone goes off in my pocket.  I'm the only one at the apartment right now, Mikasa being at work at the coffee shop and Armin having been kept late at the hospital.  So automatically assuming it's one of them, I blindly answer the phone.

"Yellow."

 _"Hello sweetheart, it's Hanji."_   The usually chipper voice is not so chipper and my stomach drops into my toes.  Oh no....  I just had my checkup on Friday and Hanji ran her usual battery of tests.  While some of the results come back instantaneously, others need to be taken to a lab and take forty-eight hours for the results to get back to her.  Nine times out of ten, they come back clear and I never hear even a word about them.  But the only time she ever calls me on a Sunday evening is to give me bad news.

"Hey Hanji.  What's up?" I ask, even though I can guess the answer, and I'm already devastated.  If I'm completely honest with myself, a small part of me was expecting this, considering how off I've felt this last week or so.

_"Your tests came back and they're a mess, dear.  I'm afraid I need to have you come in right away for a transfusion."_

There it is, the exact words I had been fearing.  It hits me like a ton of bricks, forcing me to take a seat on the couch before my knees give out beneath me.  I had worked myself up too much for this match.  I had gotten myself too excited, which only makes losing it that much harder to accept.  Fuck.  Why does this always seem to happen?  Why does this damned disease always pick the worst times to fuck me over?

"Does it have to be tonight?" I nearly beg, my voice a little shaky.  "I can come in tomorrow morning, after my classes."

_"I know how excited you were for this match, Eren, so if I felt comfortable waiting until tomorrow, trust me, I would.  But your results are scaring me too much to wait.  I don't feel comfortable waiting another twelve hours to start fixing the problem.  I'm sorry, honey, but I need you to come in right away.  And don't ride your bike.  I don't want your heart rate to elevate."_

I breathe out sharply, trying to fight back the sting of tears in my eyes.  Come on, Jaeger, it's not that big of a deal.  It's just one match.  They have another home match next week.  I'll definitely make it to that one.  I'm bummed about missing the press conference as well, but honestly it probably would've been boring anyway.  Right?  I mean, they'll just be talking about numbers and stats and stuff.  And numbers are stupid anyway.  Math is dumb.  Who needs stats?

"Okay.  I'm on my way," I tell her, my voice a lot less stable than I would've liked.

Hanging up the phone, I go about shoving my sketchbook and some pencils into my backpack before calling for a cab to take me to the hospital.  Maybe I can convince Hanji to set me up in a room with a television so I can watch the match.  It won't be nearly as good as seeing it live, but at least it's better than nothing.

That's the mentality I try to hold on to as I sit quietly in the back of the cab on the way to the hospital.  I call Marco to tell him I won't be able to make it to the match for emergency reasons, then I shoot a text to Mikasa and Armin to let them know what's going on.  All the while, a familiar anger is trying to creep it's way past my calm mask.  It's an anger I always feel when this stupid disease makes itself known at the most inconvenient of times.  I just wish there was something I could do to beat this disease.  But unfortunately there is nothing.  I'll just have to fight through it, and not let it destroy me.

 

**Levi**

Where is that damn brat?  I told him he needed to be here early.  The match is going to start in fifteen minutes, and the refs are already calling for warm-ups to come to an end.  I scan the sidelines for the kid again, but I don't see him.  Tch.  I'm not used to being stood up by people.  He seemed so excited to come to this match.  It doesn't make sense that he's not here.  Whatever.  What do I care?  It's his loss.

Initially, I'm angry at being stood up by that damn brat, and it shows during the match.  I'm a little more aggressive than usual, and it results in a yellow card only fifteen minutes into the first half.  Fuck, I need to calm down.  I'm usually not so easily rattled.  So what if the brat decided to blow off the match and the press conference?  Why should that bother me?  It's not my problem.  And it's the last time I ever try to do something nice for that brat.

My sloppy playing nearly costs us the match, because I can't seem to control a single shot on goal.  They all go wide, or right to the goal keeper.  It's Farlan's attempt on goal that sails into the top left corner of the net two minutes before the end of the match that puts us on the board.  With a winning score of one to zero, the match ends and Erwin is quickly herding me and Mike into the locker room to change and get ready for the press conference.

Fuck, why am I so disturbed that Eren isn't here?  I'm pissed as all hell, but now that the match is over and I have time to actually think about it, I can't help a nagging worry that starts to eat at me.  It's not like him to get all worked up for the match tonight, then not show.  And he had seemed genuinely happy when I invited him to the press conference.  So why isn't he here?  Did something happen to him?

Suddenly I remember why that brat caught my attention in the very beginning.  All of those bruises, and my initial assumption that he's being abused.  Fuck, how could I be so stupid?  What if he's hurt?  What if his abuser put him in the hospital?  Just like that my anger completely vanishes, leaving worry in its place.  It's a foreign feeling, and I don't like it at all.

"Are you alright?" Erwin's voice says from my shoulder, drawing me out of my thoughts.

"Huh?  Oh, yes, I'm fine, Eyebrows," I retort, slamming my locker shut and following him out of the locker room and towards the small conference room.

"You seem distracted," he presses.

"I said I'm fine," I snap.

He lets it go, knowing better than to press me when I don't want to talk.  I work on calming myself down and not thinking the worst as we enter the conference room.  Camera flash nearly blinds me as the three of us make our way to the slightly elevated table.  My eyes immediately scan for Eren as I take a seat.  I know that's stupid, because he can't get in without a pass, which he never got from me, but I do it anyway.  He's not there obviously, but in the small room, I do see a reporter sitting near the center with a card around his neck reading 'Trost Daily'.  The kid has two toned hair and a long horse face.  I make note of that face so that I can find it after the press conference and ask him about Eren.  He might know what happened to the brat, right?

Fuck, I can't ask horseface about Eren.  It would draw too much suspicion.  And he's a fucking reporter.  Of course he'd look too deeply into my questions on Eren's whereabouts.

I try to calm myself down as the press conference begins.  Eren is fine.  The idiot probably got caught up in his art or something.  Or maybe he fell asleep.  Or maybe he got scheduled for his other job tonight.  I think I remember him saying something about working at a donut shop.  A café?  A coffee shop?  Fuck if I remember.  He's probably fine.  I wouldn't put it past him to completely forget about the match either.

That nagging feeling of worry doesn't leave me at all though throughout the entire press conference.  I'm also worried because it's not like me to get so worked up about other people.  What could this possibly mean?  Not good things, I'm sure....

A sharp elbow to my side draws my wandering thoughts back to the conference.  Shit, one of the reporters asked me a question, and I wasn't paying attention to them at all.

"Could you repeat the question?" I ask, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice.

"What is your focus now that we're nearing the end of the regular season?" the reporter repeats.

With a sigh, I repeat the nearly scripted lines that I always say in these press conferences.  It's always the same questions, and usually the same answers.  It's easy to pretty much just autopilot my way through these things.  But I try to focus more on what's being asked and the answers Erwin and Mike are giving.  I need something to keep my mind off of Eren.

The press conference drags.  Fuck why are these things so boring?  But it eventually comes to an end and Erwin dismisses Mike and I.  I head out to my car in a daze.  I find myself wishing that I had the brat's number so that I could at least call him and see if he's okay.  But I can't give the kid my number.  I don't let anyone have my number for obvious reasons.

Sitting in my car, I stare at the screen of my phone though, debating on whether I should give Isabel a call and ask her to check Trost General Hospital to see if he's been admitted.  It's the only real hospital in the city, so if something happened to him, he'd be taken there.  But I don't want her to know that I'm worried for this kid either.  And I doubt the hospital would just tell her that he has been admitted if he has.  They don't give that kind of shit out, do they?

With a frustrated growl, I toss the phone into the passenger's seat and start my car, revving the engine and taking off out of the parking lot.  I need to stop worrying about that damn brat.  All of this worrying is really out of character for me, and can't be healthy.  I'm sure the kid is fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Levi? Are those feelings I see there?  
> Levi: Tch I don't know what you're talking about, shitty brat.
> 
> Okay so I took a little bit of creative liberty with Eren's hemophilia in this chapter, and I will probably continue to do so throughout the rest of the fic. I know I said I wanted to keep his illness as real-world and accurate as possible, but I gave him an illness originally because I had situations that needed to happen. I tried to find an illness that would work to these situations as best as possible, and hemophilia is the closest I could get. I know that regular doctor's visits are necessary, and if it's severe (in Eren's case it is), regular transfusions are necessary as well. But I don't know if transfusions end up needing to happen spur of the moment like that. Probably not, but I need Eren to have sudden and unexpected trips to the hospital frequently throughout this fic, and he can only accidentally cut himself so many times. So I'm sorry if this turns any of you off to my fic. I usually prefer things to be accurate as well, so it frustrates me too, but sometimes they can't be helped :(


	6. Student Attracted to Prohibition Gangsters!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So when I first came up with the idea to make my chapter titles like newspaper headlines, I didn't realize how hard that would be. So here, have another sucky chapter title :) There will probably be more bad ones than good ones, but I like the idea too much to go back and change it XD
> 
> And sorry for the time jump near the beginning of this chapter. I sat there for like twenty minutes trying to figure out how to get rid of it and fill it in, but decided I really couldn't. I'll try to avoid big ones, and will try to make them flow, but there will be some time skips throughout this fic. I think I warned you about this before, but I'm warning you again. Sorry :/

**Eren**

"Where the fuck were you last night?"

It's the first thing Levi says to me as I arrive at practice the next morning.  I'm immediately taken aback by his question, and the obvious anger laced in his words.  Why is he so upset that I missed the match?  Is that why he was so off last night?  I definitely noticed that something was wrong when I watched the match on television from my hospital room.  He played horribly, and during the press conference after, he seemed so distracted.  Is this why?  Is it because I wasn't there when I said I would be?  But why would that bother him so much?

"Sorry, I had, uh... a family emergency.  I was at the hospital with my sister," I reply, which isn't a complete lie.  Mikasa was there at the hospital with me.  She got out of work early to come sit with me.

This seems to ease his anger, and if anything, he looks concerned.  Wait, what?  Concerned?  Why is he concerned?  But then the emotion is gone from his face a moment later.

"Is everything alright?" he asks, crossing his arms over his chest.  I feel like the question is just a formality.

"Yeah, everything is fine," I say.  "I'm sorry I missed the match and the press conference.  I was really excited for them.  I'll try very hard to make the next match though, I promise!"

He nods and starts to back away from me, back towards the field.  "Don't sweat it, kid."

I smile as I lift my camera and snap a few pictures of Levi jogging back to the field.  He really was concerned, I could tell, even though he was trying really hard to cover it up.  He may act like an emotionless bastard, but he's really not.  The tough asshole actually cares.  How sweet.

...

Over the next few weeks, I find it hard to keep my stress levels down due to my ridiculously busy schedule, and it's starting to affect my health.  Two jobs, fifteen units, and attending all of the Scouts practices are getting hard to juggle.  But I do manage.  Hanji warns me about the increased stress affecting my hemophilia, but I don't start listening to her until after my third unscheduled visit to the emergency room for a transfusion.  I don't know what I'm supposed to do though.  I can't lessen my work and school loads.  The only thing that leaves to cut back on is the Scouts practices, which I refuse to do.  I'll just have to be careful and will have to get used to more hospital visits.

By the time mid October rolls around, only a few months left until playoffs, I've missed another home match due to a hospital visit.  Levi didn't comment that time, which was good, because I didn't want to have to use the same excuse more than once.  That could get suspicious.  Marco is getting a little concerned though, and keeps asking questions about whether I want to keep doing these shoots.  I adamantly assure him that I most _definitely_ want to keep doing these shoots.

I'm just finishing up yet another sketch of Levi when Hanji and Mikasa enter the hospital room.  Hanji removes the needle from my arm and disposes of the empty plastic bag hanging above my head.  Mikasa sits down in a chair by my bed.

"Eren," she says, her voice laced with worry.  "You really need to cut back.  This isn't healthy for you.  You can't keep coming back here every other week to get transfusions because you refuse to take it easy.  I really think you should cut back on the Scouts practices."  I start to argue, but she cuts me off before I can say anything.  "I'm not saying that you should stop going all together.  I'm just saying that you should cut back on how often you go.  Maybe just go to one or two a week.  You need some down time to relax and catch up on your school work."

I want to argue, but she has a point.  I can't keep doing this.  Hanji has warned me multiple times now that this isn't healthy.  And I should probably start listening to my doctor.  With a sigh, I nod my head and Mikasa releases a relieved breath.

"Good.  Now, let's get you home and ready for the art show," she says with a smile.

Oh right.  I totally forgot about my art show tonight.  I have three pieces in it this time, and one is even a watercolor painting of Levi.  I'm kind of hoping that he'll be at the show tonight, but at the same time I hope he's not.  I don't want him to know that I paint him.  That's kind of creepy.  Sure I can stalk him, but I don't want him to _know_ that I stalk him, or that I'm totally obsessed with him.

Hanji releases me from the hospital and the two of us head home.  My parents can't make it to this show, so it's just Mikasa, Armin, and I that pile into the car and head downtown.  The gallery is packed, and it makes me smile.  So many people turned out this time for the show.  I wonder if Levi and Erwin and Pixis turned out as well?

I'm nervous as we walk through the gallery, walking through the hallways looking for my works.  We find two of them next to each other in one hallway.  It's my charcoal drawing of a crumbling wall, and my acrylic painting of the flowers below the giant wall, the one that I decided not to enter for the last show.  I point them out to Mikasa and Armin, then we continue down the halls, looking for my third piece.  We find my watercolor of Levi a few hallways down, and Mikasa rolls her eyes when she sees it.  I didn't tell either of them that I was submitting this one.  Well, the cat is out of the bag now.

"Of course you would," she murmurs.

"Hey, what can I say?" I shrug.  "I paint what inspires me, and I've been seeing a lot of his matches and practices recently."

"I don't know if I should be flattered or creeped out."

My eyes widen at the voice, and spin around to see Levi walking towards us.  He's wearing a black suit with a light grey button down that's tailored perfectly to fit his frame.  Perched on his nose are his usual sunglasses, but they're settled low to reveal his stunning eyes.  He's also wearing a black fedora to complete the disguise.  Really?  A fedora?  What is this, the nineteen twenties?

Levi strides up to me, not seeming to care that Armin and Mikasa are with us.  His hands are tucked into the pockets of his suit and he keeps looking around him suspiciously.  He looks like a modern day Al Capone.  It's actually kind of a turn on.  When I became attracted to prohibition gangsters, I don't know.  All I do know is that Levi looks so fucking hot right now.

My heart is racing in my chest, which probably isn't very healthy for me at this moment in time.  Is he about to chew me out for not only painting him like a creep, but for submitting my painting of him into an art show like an even bigger creep?  I glance over at my backup to see that they're staring wide eyed and slack jawed at Levi.  Well they're useless.

"Oh my god," Armin breathes.  "Levi Ack-"

Levi slaps a hand over Armin's mouth, pushing his sunglasses back up his nose to hide his eyes as he looks around.  I swear Armin is about to explode as his eyes widen even more, looking down at the hand over his mouth.

"Don't say my name, coconut," Levi warns him.  Coconut?  "If you didn't notice, I'm trying to stay under the radar."

"Sorry," Armin squeaks as Levi lowers his hand.

"Oh, uh, these are my roommates," I tell Levi.  "My sister Mikasa, and my friend Armin.  And, well, you both know who he is."

Armin is still wide eyed, as is Mikasa.  Neither say anything as Levi shakes their hands.  Armin almost doesn't even notice that Levi is extending a hand to him.  I roll my eyes.  I wonder if I looked like that too when I first met him.  I probably still do, actually.

"So, I didn't realize you were _this_ obsessed with me, kid," Levi says, turning to look back at the painting.

I cringe in embarrassment.  "Well, I'm inspired by what's around me, and I've been around you an awful lot lately," I tell him, giving him the same excuse I gave Mikasa and Armin.

"Well not lately you haven't.  You weren't at practice today," he observes.

"Oh, yeah, sorry.  I was... busy."

"Sure you were," he exhales.

"I was!"

"Yeah, actually, Eren has been really busy with school," Mikasa says, finally speaking up.  "He won't be able to attend as many of your practices anymore.  He needs to focus on his art work.  And his job."

I see one of his thin eyebrows raise under the brim of the fedora.  "Is that so?"

"Yes.  He's been super stressed out and it's not healthy for his-"

I elbow her hard in the side, cutting off that sentence.  "For my health," I finish for her with a grin that is supposed to be inconspicuous, but probably just ends up looking more suspicious.

"It's not healthy for your health?" he questions.  "You have a way with words, brat."

I exhale sharply, dry washing my face with a hand.  This isn't going very well.

"But I understand," he says, not looking at me, keeping his eyes trained on the painting in front of him.  "I never meant for you to feel that our practices were mandatory for you to attend.  Just when you have time, or feel like joining us.  I don't want you to stress yourself out just because you think you have to go to them."

"Okay, thanks," I say with a genuine smile, glad that he's being understanding about it.

He nods, then glances over at me.  "Oh, and I'd like to talk to you for a minute, if that's okay."

"Uhm, yeah, of course!"  What the hell does he want to talk to me about?  There goes my heart again....

He hesitates for a minute, then looks past me, lowering the glasses on the bridge of his nose.  "Alone."

"Oh!" Armin squeaks, then grabs Mikasa's arm and pulls her away, down another hallway.  I can hear Mikasa protesting, but she doesn't put up much of a fight.

"So what's up?" I ask once they're out of earshot, trying not to let it show how nervous I suddenly am.  "Is it the painting?  Is it too much?  I'm sorry, I just-"

"No, it's not the painting," he tells me.  He goes quiet for a minute, as if thinking about what he wants to say.  That's weird.  He's not usually so lost for words.  "There's this... thing next Friday night.  It's just a get-together, I guess you can call it.  The team will be there, and everyone is allowed to bring one guest.  I don't really know anyone outside of the team, except for you, so I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me."

I don't think it's physically possible for my eyes to get any wider, or for my heart to beat any faster.  Am I having a heart attack?  Is this what it feels like?  Wait... can twenty-year-olds even have heart attacks?  What the hell is this man trying to pull?  He's inviting _me_ , a diseased college nobody, to a party with the team?  With the fucking Trost Scouts?  What the _fuck?!_

"If I say yes, can you answer a question for me?" I barter.  Since he refused to let me ask the question last time, I might as well try again.

He looks up at me sharply, and I don't even have to see his eyes to know he's glaring at me.  "I don't _have_ to bring anyone, you know.  All of my friends will already be there, so it's not like I'll be bored."

"No!  I'll go, I'll go!  Sorry," I say, rubbing the back of my neck.

The corner of his lips turn up in a slight smirk.  He holds out a hand.  "Give me your phone."

"My... my phone?"

He breathes an exasperated sigh.  "Yes your phone."

I can tell he's not going to explain why, so I just reach into my pocket and hand over my cell phone.  He unlocks it, then taps away at my screen.  "The get-together is at eight next Friday at Bar Rose," he says as he types away on my phone.

"Eight?  I thought you had practice until eight."  I probably should tell him that they won't even let me in, since I'm underage, but I don't.  For some reason I don't want him to know how young I am.  I know that he's quite a few years older than me, and I guess I don't want him to know that.  I think his stats say he's twenty-seven.  But, his stats also say he's five foot six, so who knows if that's even true or not.

"Practice is canceled that day.  I'll pick you up around seven-thirty.  Just text me your address sometime before Friday," he continues.

"How can I text you?  I don't have your-"

He cuts me off by pushing my phone back into my hands.  I look down to see it open to the contacts page, and a new entry is highlighted.  **Levi Ackerman**.  Holy shit I have Levi Ackerman's phone number.  And I'm going to a party with him next Friday.  Holy crap on a cracker someone pinch me I must be dreaming.

"I don't give many people my private number, so don't make me regret it, brat.  If you send me a text every five seconds, I will block you.  Don't test me.  You will lose."

I nod quickly to assure him that I've understood.  He looks back up at the painting of himself and tilts his head a little, pulling down his glasses to get a better look.  I look up at it as well.  I painted it with very light pastel colors, and with a heavy amount of water so that it dripped and the colors mixed together in places.  It's a very loose style, and usually when I try to paint like this, I hate the result.  But this one I'm actually very proud of.  The picture is of his back, his right leg pulled back, just about to swing forward again to kick the soccer ball.  His body is leaning to the left, his arms held out from his sides to balance him.  It's a fierce stance in a very delicate style.  Maybe that's why it pops so much, and why I like it so much.  I also had decided to leave his green jersey blank.  There is no number twenty-three, his name isn't written across his shoulders, and the Scouts wings symbol are nowhere to be found.  But anyone who watches soccer can probably tell it's him.  From the colors of the uniform, and his telltale undercut, it's obvious, to me at least, that it's a painting of Levi Ackerman.

"I actually kind of like this one," he tells me.  "I've seen a lot of pictures of myself, as well as a number of artwork, but this one might be my favorite."

Oh my god he did not just say that.  Holy fuck!  I don't think he realizes how much that sentence means to me.  Any artist would really love to hear praise for a piece said by the person that inspired the piece.  And Levi Ackerman just told me he likes my painting of him!  Not only that, but it's one of his favorites?!  I try to reply, but end up just spluttering something unintelligible.  Smooth, Jaeger.

Levi chuckles at me, and my cheeks burn, but it's soon interrupted by a phone going off.  Levi reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone, checking the caller ID before answering the call and putting the phone to his ear.

"You ready to go yet, shitty eyebrows?" Levi asks, and for some reason, I just know he's talking to Erwin.  Who else would he call 'shitty eyebrows'?  "Alright, I'll meet you out front."  He hangs up, pocketing his phone before turning to me.  "Well I'm out of here, kid.  I'll see you around."

I nod and watch him walk away, his head ducked slightly and his hands buried deep in his pockets.  So, the last time we ran into each other at an art show, he invited me to a press conference.  This time, he invited me to come with him to a party for the team.  I don't know why he keeps inviting me to all of these things, but I'm starting to really enjoy these art shows.

Pulling out my phone, I quickly send a text to Levi, giving him my address.  If I wait any longer to do it, I'll probably forget, and that'd be all sorts of bad.  I hit send, then realize that I didn't tell him who I was.  Fuck.  Slapping my palm against my forehead, I quickly type out another message.

 **To: Levi Ackerman**  
**this is eren btw. sorry forgot to say that in the last msg!**  
**9:53 PM**

I pocket my phone and hurry to go find where Mikasa and Armin disappeared to.  It doesn't take me long to find them in the hall with my other paintings, and neither does it take long for Levi to reply to my message.

 **From: Levi Ackerman**  
**Don't text talk me.**  
**9:57 PM**

Mikasa and Armin give me curious looks as I approach them.  I can tell they have so many questions they want to ask, most likely pertaining to what Levi wanted to talk to me about.  But they don't ask.  They probably will bombard me as soon as we're alone and in private though.  Armin eyes me as I start to type out a response to Levi's message.

"Oh my god are you texting him?" Armin hisses under his voice.  "He gave you his number?!"

"No," I quickly lie.  I don't want them to know that.  "It's just... my mom.  I'm just telling her how the art show it going."

He accepts my excuse, and I finish sending my message.

 **To: Levi Ackerman**  
**Sorry!**  
**10:01 PM**

Levi doesn't reply, and Armin and Mikasa keep quiet about him the rest of the time we're at the gallery.  I keep glancing at my phone the entire night.  I want to keep talking to Levi, but his threat rings in my ears, and I don't doubt for a second that he'd follow through with it.  That grumpy pants....

...

I was right about them wanting to wait until we were in private before hounding me with questions.  The second we pile into Armin's car, the questions nearly knock me over.

"What did he want?"

"Why was he there?"

"How did he get so friendly with you?"

"Did he like the painting?"

Blah, blah, blah.  I eventually stop listening and interrupt their incessant stream of questions.  I don't know how to answer their most pressing question: what did he want?  I can't tell them the real reason.  Well, I can, but I don't want to.  I have a feeling he wouldn't want me sharing, and I don't even want to share.  This seems like something private.  Just between me and him.  And for some reason, I want to keep it that way.

"He was just wondering why I wasn't at practice.  I told him I was busy," I tell them.  God, I hate lying, and I'm never really good at it, but I just can't tell them the truth.

"But he asked you that when he first ran into us.  Why did he need to ask you again in private?" Armin questions.

"I don't know, Armin!" I laugh, trying not to seem so nervous.  "He's just a mysterious man.  Now stop asking me questions, guys!  You're making this a way bigger deal than it is.  We're just acquaintances.  And not even very good ones at that."

That makes me wonder.  How would I really classify our relationship?  I feel like we're more than just acquaintances, but friends?  I'd love to say that we're friends, but does Levi feel the same way?  More like stalker and victim, most likely.

"Okay, but I have one more question," Armin says.

I exhale sharply.  "What is it, Armin?"

"Has he always been so short?"

...

The following Monday, I don't go to the Scouts practice, but not because I willingly decided to not go.  I have the eleven to seven shift at the coffee shop.  Ugh.  I don't usually have such a long shift, and even though it's just two hours longer than a normal long shift, it makes all the difference.  My feet hurt and my lower back hurts and my legs hurt and I'm getting a headache from smelling coffee all day long.  When my impossibly long shift ends, Mikasa shows up to relieve me of my duty and to start the night shift.  I bike home, then have to sprawl out on my bed and do my stupid Calculus homework.  I just can't seem to cut a break.

I'm just getting started on the first problem, and trying so hard not to talk to Armin on his own bed and just focus on the damn problem, when my phone buzzes.  I grab it without taking my eyes off the stupidly hard equations.

"Yellow," I answer as I try to do my calculations in the margins of my paper.

 _"Good afternoon, Eren.  The results of the show just came in,"_ Professor Hannes tells me, and just like last time, I get all excited.  The Calculus homework sits completely forgotten in front of me.

"Awesome!  So is it good?  Bad?  Same as last time?" I question in a hurry.

 _"Your watercolor came in first in the watercolor category!  Congratulations Eren!_ " he tells me and I nearly drop the phone.

"It _what_?!" I exclaim, startling Armin who even squeaks a little as he drops his heavy textbook on his knee.

I can hear Hannes laugh.  _"You heard me_ ," he chuckles.  _"So you got a little bit of prize money for that, but also, you got a few offers on it as well.  Tomorrow after class I'll give them to you and you can decide if you want to accept any of them, or if you even want to sell it at all."_

"Wow, people want to buy my painting?  The soccer one?"

I can hardly believe it.  I had submitted that painting in the first place as a kind of joke, but when the gallery accepted it and offered it a place, I was shocked.  I decided to go ahead and enter it into the show, not really expecting much to come from it.  Hearing now that it won in the watercolor category, and that there are offers- yes, plural, as in more than one!- to buy the painting, I'm astounded.  I guess I'm not the only soccer fan out there.

_"Yes, the soccer one."_

I exchange a few more details with Hannes, then hang up with him.

"Oh my god Armin you'll never guess what Professor Hannes just told me," I nearly shout.

He laughs.  "Well I heard half of the conversation.  I know it has something to do with your Ackerman painting.  People want to buy it?"

"Yeah, and it won first place in the watercolor category!  First place Armin!  FIRST PLACE!"

He laughs again as I open up my messages to shoot a text to Mikasa to tell her the exciting news.  I click on the 'Ackerman' conversation and hurriedly type out a message.

 **To: Levi Ackerman**  
**U'LL NVR GUESS WAT JUST HAPPENED. MY WATERCOLOR TTLY GOT 1ST PLACE. NOT EVEN LYING 2 U.**  
**7:36PM**

"That's great, Eren!  You deserved it!  That really is a wonderful painting.  The colors were mesmerizing," he says.

Armin and I exchange excited conversation, which turns into him saying he's going to call everyone so we can get together at Bar Maria again.  Once I finish my homework, he adds with a mothering tone.  I roll my eyes at him but agree.  I go back to doing my homework as Armin makes the calls, but I can't really concentrate on the stupid squigglies because I'm just too excited.  I keep glancing at my phone, waiting for Mikasa to text me back.  She's usually pretty quick about returning messages.  I know she's at work, but Nanaba always lets us go on our phones when there are no customers to help.  I've texted Mikasa before while she's at work and she always texts me back.  So why isn't she now?

With a heavy sigh, I try to ignore the fact that Mikasa is ignoring me, and concentrate on my stupid, pointless, unnecessary-to-life Calculus homework.  Seriously.  When am I ever going to use this crap in real life?  Said every math student ever. 

When my phone vibrates on my textbook it startles me half to death and I nearly fall off my bed.  When I recover from my near death experience, I excitedly pick it up, but then frown in confusion when I see that it's a text from Levi.

 **From: Levi Ackerman**  
**Congrats, brat.**  
**7:51 PM**

What?  Why is he congratulating me?  How does he even-  _Fuck!_   Scrolling up slightly, I see that I had accidentally sent that message to Levi instead of Mikasa.  How am I just noticing that they have the same last name?  Shit....  I'll have to be more careful next time before I send something embarrassing to Levi.  Or to Mikasa.  Or before I accidentally text Levi too many times and he blocks me.  I quickly change his name in my contacts then type out an apology.

 **To: Grumpy Pants**  
**Sorry! Wrong number. Meant to send that to my sister. She has the same last name as you haha**  
**7:53 PM**

With an embarrassed blush, I bury my face in my textbook to try and hide my embarrassment.  I'm sort of hoping that the textbook will just swallow me whole.  It doesn't.  I also pretend that we have a telepathic connection, that if I sit here long enough with my forehead pressed against the words, they'll magically absorb into my brain.  But they don't and when my phone vibrates again, I slowly sit up and open the message.

 **From: Grumpy Pants**  
**I don't need a fucking explanation, kid.  I was serious though. Congrats.**  
**7:58 PM**

I smile at that.  He may act like a tough asshole, but he's actually kind of nice when he tries.  While I think of a way to respond to that, I quickly type a message to Mikasa.  I double check that I have the right conversation before I send the message.  Just as I'm about to switch back to my conversation with Levi, my phone buzzes, and a new bubble pops up in the conversation.

 **From: Grumpy Pants**  
**Would you like to come over to celebrate?**  
**8:03 PM**

My eyes go wide and I nearly drop my phone.  Holy fucking fuck!  Come over?  As in go to his place?  And what does he mean by celebrating?  What kind of celebrating?  Dinner?  Beers?  Maybe something more classy and celebratory like champagne?  Or does he mean....?

My cheeks go probably one hundred shades of red as images start to flood my head.  No.  There's no way that's what he meant.  That's just ridiculous, I think to myself with a snort.  I have no idea what he meant, but it was definitely not _that_.  He's not even gay.  I think he was dating a model a year ago or something.  A female model.  Men don't interest him, especially not diseased twenty-year-old college losers.

Well, I'll never know what he meant by that offer, because I can't go anyway.  I'm not the kind of person that will ditch all his friends that are wanting to throw him a celebratory party so that he can go hang out with a celebrity.  My hands are shaking though as I type out my reply.

 **To: Grumpy Pants**  
**As much as I want to, I can't. I already have plans with my friends. Sorry. Rain check?**  
**8:05 PM**

 **From: Grumpy Pants**  
**No problem, kid. I'll see you at practice.**  
**8:06 PM**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Eren, that's *exactly* what Levi meant by that offer. Levi wants that Jaeger booty. If anything sounded weird or didn't quite flow in this chapter, during the art show and this last scene, I'm sorry but this chapter was TOTALLY DIFFERENT when I first wrote it and it totally got ripped apart and I struggled to put it back together. Sorry ._. And if you haven't noticed I apologize a lot in these notes.... Anyways, next chapter is the party! :D
> 
> I'm also on Tumbr :) [titaneren-jaeger](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/)


	7. A Close Call at Scouts Party!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Party time!
> 
> Someone asked me very nicely to post the new chapter a day early, and it made me smile so much that I really wanted to, but Fridays are bad days for me schedule wise. I have my usual classes and I have shifts at both of my jobs on Fridays, so I didn't have time to go through edits and post the chapter a day early, but I tried to post it a little early today! I wanted to have it up a little earlier, but I had a busy morning with my horse.

**Eren**

"Calm down, sweetheart, before you bounce out of the seat.  What has you all excited?"

I look up at Hanji as she tests my blood circulation.  I've had a shit-eating grin on my face all day.  You want to know why?  Because it's finally Friday!  Cue Rebecca Black... now.  Actually, no.  Please don't.  I'll rip my eardrums out if I have to listen to that song.  But I don't really care right now, because it's finally fucking Friday!

"I got invited to a party tonight," I tell her, but I decide not to tell her who invited me.  "I've never actually hung out with this group of people before, so I'm kind of excited and nervous."

"That sounds like fun.  Just be careful and don't do anything I wouldn't do, which honestly isn't much.  Never mind, ignore that.  Don't do anything too stupid," she giggles.

I laugh as well.  I really like her.  I'm glad my dad found her, and not some old fart doctor that's boring as fuck.  She finishes her tests, then sends me off with a clean bill of health, the first I've had in a while.  Well, more like with passed tests and a 'your hemophilia is under control again for now'.  But I'm too excited to dwell on my stupid incurable disease.  I'm so ready to spend the evening with Levi and the rest of the Scouts at a party.

When I get back home, I take a quick shower, then stand naked in my bedroom trying to decide what to wear.  I'm all alone in the apartment right now, and will be until I have to leave.  Mikasa has the long shift at work tonight, and Armin sent me a text while I was in the shower saying that he'd be at the hospital until really late.

I pull on my favorite pair of boxers, then grab my black skinny jeans.  But I hesitate before pulling them on.  Is this get-together casual or formal?  Semi casual?  Semi formal?  Fuck I don't even know what that means.  I decide to text Levi and ask.  As I wait for a reply, I lay sprawled across my bed in my underwear playing games on my phone and trying not to freak out.  My phone buzzes, startling me, and I drop it right on my face.  Rubbing my nose, I open the message.

 **From: Grumpy Pants**  
**Formal. It's Erwin's party, and he's a very formal man. He will kick you out if you're not dressed to his standards.**  
**6:38 PM**

Okay now I'm freaking out.  I don't have anything formal.  What even qualifies as formal?  The fanciest things I have are my button downs and my one pair of black slacks.  They'll have to do.  Good thing I washed those slacks since I wore them to the art show.  I washed them when I decided that I needed to do laundry, because my work shirts were all getting too gross to be tolerated.

Pulling on the slacks and a dark green-blue colored button down that Mikasa always says brings out my eyes, I then proceed to attempt to clean my room.  I don't know if Levi is going to come up to my apartment or not, and I don't want to be embarrassed by this mess if he does.  I don't even attempt to straighten out my art corner, but I organize everything else.  When I deem it clean enough- it's not even very clean but then again my standards aren't very high- I look at my phone to check the time.  I squeak- yes, actually squeak- and nearly drop the phone.  It's four minutes until seven thirty.

I quickly straighten out my clothes and try to do something with my hair before, like always, giving up.  I hurry out to the front room, as if there's something that needs to be done out there, and hesitate in the middle of the room when I realize that there isn't.  I decide that I might as well leave a note for Mikasa and Armin, considering that I never told them that I was going anywhere tonight.

Just as I finish writing the quick note, my cell phone starts buzzing.  I'm getting a call.  I quickly pull it out and answer the call, putting my phone to my ear.

"Yellow."

 _"Did you just...?  Fuck it, never mind.  I'm out front,"_ Levi's voice says.  _"You can understand why I don't want to come up to your door, yes?"_

"Yeah, no problem," I reply, trying to keep the nervousness out of my voice.  Of course he doesn't want to come up.  I should've thought about that before I hastily tried to clean my room.  He probably doesn't want people to see him and possibly recognize him.  "I'll be down in a minute."

He hangs up and I hurry out the door, only stopping to lock it behind me.  My heart is racing in my chest as I take the stairs three at a time down to ground level.  When I get to the parking lot, I look around.  I don't know what Levi drives, but I immediately known which car is his when I see it.

Oh.  My.  God.  Well, he _is_ a rich celebrity.  Of course he'd drive a nice car like that!  It just so happens to be one of my dream cars- yes I have more than one- and it makes me drool.  I hurry towards the sleek black Aston Martin Vanquish.  It's still running, it's engine purring.  I hurriedly open the door and climb into the car and look around the spotless interior before looking over at Levi.  I must be all wide eyed and grinning, because he's staring at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Sorry, I just love your car," I reply with a nervous laugh and a shrug.

He rolls his eyes at me, then looks me over before taking hold of the stick shift and throwing the car into reverse.  I swear his eyes lingered longer than necessary, and that makes the butterflies in my stomach go crazy.

"I guess that will do.  Hopefully Erwin won't kick you out," Levi says, but I can just make out the joking edge to his tone.

I look over at him, letting my eyes wander over his short frame.  He's dressed in a black suit, a light grey button down underneath and a... is that a cravat?  Damn, this isn't the seventeen hundreds.  But, he actually looks really good in one.  He's probably the only person in this century that can pull it off.

"You look nice," I decide to say, but instantly begin to blush.  That was a stupid thing to say.

"Yes, because I know the definition of formal," he retorts, but his tone is playful.

"I'm sorry!  I don't own formal.  This is literally the formalest thing I have," I reply, rubbing the back of my neck.

He looks over at me with that damned raised eyebrow again, the one that says 'I'm judging you so hard right now' and I frown, but it probably looks more like a pout.  I need to change the subject, before I embarrass myself further with my lack of a formal wardrobe or lack of a proper vocabulary.

"So what's this party for?  You said Coach Erwin was throwing it?"

"No, it's sort of for him.  Every year the team tries to have a get-together around the end of the season, and Erwin's birthday just so happens to fall around that time, so it's kind of combined," he explains as he speeds down the roads.  He can't be going the legal limit.  Not even close.

"Oh!  So it's his birthday party?" I question in excitement.  I love birthday parties!  Especially grown up birthday parties.  There's usually lots of booze at those.  "Damn, I didn't bring a present...."

He snorts.  "It's not a birthday party, brat.  No one brought gifts.  It's a get together, and if everyone gets drunk enough, 'happy birthday' may or may not get sung."

"Uhm, you also said it's at a bar?"  Well, it's already kind of too late to tell him I'm underage, and it'd probably just piss him off considering we're probably almost there, but I feel like I should.  I never run into trouble when my friends and I go to Maria Bar, but that's because Reiner is a bouncer there, and he either lets me in or convinces whoever is working to let all his friends in without carding us.  But this will probably be different.

"Yes.  It's Pixis' bar.  He shut it down for tonight, so we'll be the only ones there," Levi explains.

Oh good.  If it's shut down, that means no bouncers, right?  I doubt Pixis will be carding the players and their guests.  Phew.  I don't have to tell him that I'm not even freaking legal yet.  "Oh cool.  This is exciting.  I've never been to a private birthday-not-birthday get together bar party before."

Levi sighs and I can sense him judging me again.  "Just try not to dork up the place, brat."

"I can't promise anything," I warn him playfully, and he actually smiles at that.

I feel so accomplished that I got him to give what looks like a genuine smile that I don't realize the car is stopped and off.  It's when Levi opens the door and steps out that I snap out of my shock and join him.  I follow Levi to the front door, but everything looks weird.  The electronic sign above the door that reads 'Bar Rose' in fancy italics is turned off, as well as the few beer brand neon signs that hang in the windows.  Another sign hangs on the door, reading 'Closed', but Levi pushes the unlocked door open anyway.

The bar is already full, and I get even more nervous.  I can easily spot all of the players, as I know their faces, but I'm guessing that all the unfamiliar women and men are their guests.  Levi leads me deeper into the bar, towards where the party is already in full swing.  A single bar tender stands behind the bar, serving drinks.  I wonder if he's one of Pixis' employees that he asked to tend the bar for the party.

Levi heads straight for where Erwin is leaning against the bar.  I catch sight of Erwin's guest, sitting on a stool beside him, and I gasp.

"Dr. Zoe?" I say, my eyes wide.

Her eyes immediately snap towards me, and they light up.

"Eren, my dear!" she squeals, hopping off the stool and pulling me into a tight hug.  "What on earth are you doing here, sweetheart?  When you said you had a party tonight, I never would've guessed it'd be _this_ party."

Levi and Erwin are watching us with wide, confused eyes, but I ignore them for the moment, focusing on my eccentric doctor.  She's wearing a floor length deep red dress that hugs her figure perfectly, a slit running all the way up to her hip.  It only has one strap, and the fabric seems to almost sparkle.  Her hair is pulled up in its normal ponytail, strands falling free to frame her face.  She looks stunning.  "I'm Levi's guest tonight.  And when you told me you were seeing a 'sports coach guy' I never would've guessed you meant Coach Erwin," I tease.  "You look beautiful, by the way.  I've never seen you in anything but your scrubs before."

"Sports coach guy?" Erwin questions, looking between Hanji and I with a raised eyebrow.

"You two know each other?" is Levi's question.

"Yes!  This cutie is my-"

"She's friends with my dad," I quickly interrupt her.  Levi _cannot_ know that I'm a diseased loser.  I catch Hanji's eye as I say that and she smiles in understanding.  "My dad is a doctor too.  I know her through him."

"Small world," Erwin says with a smile, wrapping an arm subtly around Hanji's waist.  "Well, I'm glad you could join us tonight, Eren.  Have fun and enjoy the party."

"Thank you, I definitely will," I smile in return.  "Oh!  Happy birthday!"

Levi sighs with a roll of his eyes, heading off towards the bar.  I hear Erwin laugh as I hurry to catch up with Levi.  No way am I letting him leave me alone with all these famous people and their stranger guests I don't know.  I hope he doesn't mind me following him around like a lost puppy, because that's exactly what I'm going to do.

Levi steps up beside Farlan and Oluo at the bar.  Farlan is sitting beside a very pretty woman with bright red hair pulled up into pig tails.  She's dressed in a teal blue colored knee length dress that really brings out her stunning green eyes.  Farlan's hand is resting innocently on her thigh.  They must be together.  Oluo's guest also has beautiful red hair that hangs loose, framing her kind face.  I know her.  I've seen her face before, but I can't place it.  She's wearing a little black dress and the way she banters with Oluo makes me think that they're definitely _not_ together.

"I never would've guessed you'd bring Petra as your guest," Levi says to Oluo as he takes a seat on the other side of Farlan from the woman with the pigtails.  I take a the empty seat on Levi's other side.

"Don't be so mean, Levi!" the woman, Petra, retorts playfully.  "Why wouldn't he bring me?"

"She blackmailed me into bringing her," Oluo says.

"Blackmail?" she gasps.  "I asked if I could go with you, and you practically drooled all over yourself trying to say 'yes'."

Levi just shakes his head with a chuckle, waving a hand to the bartender to get his attention.  "Eren, this is our head cheerleader, Petra.  And Farlan's date is his wife, and also my agent, Isabel.  I went to high school with Petra and to college with Isabel.  Isabel, Petra, this is Eren."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Eren," Isabel says with a glowing smile, reaching around Farlan to extend a hand.  I reach past Levi to shake it.

"Likewise," Petra also says.

"The pleasure is mine," I reply, trying to put on the most charming smile I can.  I don't want to embarrass Levi in front of his team.

"Oh my goodness isn't he a cutie!" Isabel squeals, covering her mouth with her hands.  She casts a glance over at Levi.  There's something I'm missing in that look.  "Can I talk to you for a minute, Levi?"

Levi exhales sharply, taking a long sip of the whiskey the bartender just brought him, then stands and motions for Isabel to follow him.  I watch him leave with wide eyes.  He left me....  I suddenly feel like that girl from Jurassic Park.  The one that got left alone in the jeep and started freaking out.  'HE LEFT US!'.

"What is that all about?" Farlan asks Oluo.  When Oluo shrugs, Farlan looks at me.

"Oh, uh, I have no idea," I say, my voice small.  Oh Christ, Jaeger.  You're a big boy.  You can survive being alone with Farlan and Oluo without Levi.

I look over at where Isabel and Levi are standing in the corner.  Isabel is frowning, murmuring things harshly under her breath.  Levi looks bored and uninterested as he listens to Isabel rant.  He finally nods and says something in return to Isabel, who looks pleased with what she hears.  She smiles and puts a hand on Levi's upper arm.  She says one last thing, then skips back over to us and plops down in Farlan's lap.

"Sorry about that!" she apologizes to me as Levi takes his seat next to me.

"Oh, it was no problem," I tell her with a smile.  No need to let her, and Levi, know that I almost panicked.  "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine," Isabel assures me.

I look back to Levi, and he agrees with a nod, picking up his whiskey and taking a sip.  He looks back over at me and he frowns.  What?  Is there something on my face?

"Eren, you're bleeding."

Something drips onto my hand, and I look down to see a spot of blood.  Oh.  Fuck.  Everything freezes.  Time seems to stop.  Now?  _Now?!_   Of all times to get a nosebleed, it had to be right now?  Shit.  God damn it.  Jesus fucking Christ.

Time catches back up to me, and suddenly it's a full on fucking waterfall pouring from my nose.  Levi looks startled, but before he can say anything, I grab a handful of napkins and shove them into my face, launching off the stool to go find Hanji.  Damn it, I really hope I don't have to go to the hospital.  This is so embarrassing!

I find her laughing and talking with Erwin, Mike, and Mike's guest.  I hurry up to her side and tap her arm.  She looks over at me, and her smile instantly fades.

"Oh my!  Excuse me for a moment, gentlemen," she smiles at them, then hurries me towards the bathroom.

I'm trying so hard not to panic, attempting to get my heart rate under control, because I know it's furious beating isn't helping.  Hanji drags me into the women's bathroom, and if it weren't for the serious situation, I might've actually protested.  Thank god the restroom is empty though.  She pushes me up against the counter.

"Climb up and lay on your back," she tells me, her tone light, probably trying to keep me calm.

I do as she says, laying back across the sinks, my head falling back into one and my butt dipping into another.  I don't really care.  I hear her pull a number of paper towels from the dispenser, and she quickly replaces my blood soaked napkins with the paper towels.  She keeps a hand on them, pressing her forefinger and thumb hard into the bridge of my nose.  She looks at her watch on the other wrist.

"I'm giving you fifteen minutes," she tells me.  "If the bleeding doesn't stop by then, we'll have to go to the hospital."

I nod as best I can with a mound of paper towels shoved in my face and my head hanging in a sink.  I can feel tears burning in my eyes and I fight them back.  Crying will only embarrass me more.  But I can't help it.  The wetness leaks from the corners of my eyes and runs up my temples and into my hair.

"Oh sweetie..." Hanji coos, threading her fingers comfortingly through my hair.  "It'll be okay.  You know as well as I do that nosebleeds are common for you.  It's nothing to be upset over."

"It's just... so embarrassing.  It can't leave me alone, for even one night.  I can never just take a break from it.  It's _always_ there.  All I wanted was one night to have fun and enjoy myself, but this stupid disease always has to ruin things."

"Honestly, Eren, I'm not surprised.  With the way you've been stressing yourself out lately, and with how poor your tests have been, it was bound to happen.  This is why you need to take care of yourself," she says as she kneels in front of the sinks and rests her chin on the counter by my head.  She continues to run her fingers through my hair with the hand that's not pinching my nose off.  Tears are streaming from my eyes at a steady rate now.

"I know, but I just want to be normal!  Any normal person would be able to handle this stress without having to go to the hospital every other week.  Why can't I be normal?  Why did I have to be born with this shitty disease?  I mean, I know it could been worse.  I could have cancer, or something, but it's still annoying.  I should be out there, having fun and wondering how the hell my life brought me to this party with the fucking Trost Scouts.  But no.  I'm in this stupid bathroom, bleeding out from a stupid nosebleed.  What if Levi finds out I'm diseased?  What if he thinks I'm a freak and never talks to me again?  He's not just a celebrity to me.  He's a... a friend.  I know that sounds stupid, but-"

"It's not stupid," Hanji reassures me with a small smile.  "Now granted, I don't know anyone here beside Erwin, so I can't tell you what kind of person Levi is, but if something like this scares him off, then he's no good for you in the first place.  Unfortunately, you're right.  You can't take a break from your hemophilia, but you can accept that it's a part of you and that it's not going away.  If you keep freaking out over it, you'll always be miserable.  You're a fighter, Eren.  I know you won't let something like this ruin things for you."

I actually feel a little better with her words.  She's right.  I haven't gotten so upset over this disease since I was little.  I need to calm down and understand that this is how it is.  This is a part of who I am.  And if Levi doesn't like it, or it scares him away, then I really don't need him in my life.  That makes me more upset than I'd like to admit, but it's true.

The door creaks open slightly.  I tense, but it doesn't open more than a crack.  Then, Erwin's voice calls through the opening.  "Is everything okay in there?"

"Yes, dear!" Hanji says in her normal upbeat voice.

"Levi will never admit it, but he's worried about Eren and wants to know if he's okay," Erwin says.

"Shut the fuck up, shitty eyebrows," I hear Levi grumble from the other side of the door.

"Aw, how sweet Levi!" Hanji calls with a giggle.  "Eren is fine.  Just a little nosebleed."

"He needs a doctor for a little nosebleed?" Levi responds skeptically.

"Yes, he does, short stack," Hanji replies, and my eyes widen.

"The fuck did you just call me?" Levi snaps, and his voice is much closer to the door now.

Hanji laughs, and I hear Erwin convince Levi to back off.  The two of them leave, the door closing behind them, and now I'm embarrassed for a whole different reason.  Levi is actually worried about me?

"See?" Hanji says with a smile.  "You have nothing to worry about, sweetie.  It doesn't seem like he'll be scared off so easily."

"I hope you're right," I say, taking a deep breath.

"Alright, let's take a quick look."

She releases her Vulcan death grip on my nose and peeks beneath the paper towels.  I feel blood trickle down my cheek, but it's not as heavy.  She replaces the paper towels and wipes away the stream of blood before it can get into my hair.

"It's definitely slowing," she says, returning to trying to pinch my nose off my face.  "You'll be fine, and will be able to return to the party in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Hanji," I say with a genuine smile.  I'm so lucky she was here at this party.  If not for her, I would've panicked, and things would've ended up a lot worse.  "I'm sorry I interrupted your night."

"Oh hush," she scoffs.  "It was getting boring anyway.  You simply offered some excitement."

That makes me giggle.  "I'm glad it was entertaining for at least one of us.  So... Erwin huh?"

"Yes, Erwin," she replies jokingly.

"How are things going between you two?  You seem cozy."

She nods.  "He's a great man.  He's very smart and classy and _damn_ he's a beast in bed."

My cheeks erupt in color, and I can feel the burn all the way to my ears.  "Jeez, Hanji!  I don't need to know that."

She giggles and I try to will the blush from my face, and erase the images I have of Commander Eyebrows banging my doctor.

"So... Levi huh?" she mocks.  "Anything special going on between you and Short Stuff?"

If I thought I was blushing before, that was nothing.  Right now my cheeks can probably put stop signs everywhere to shame.  Jesus, I never blush- except when I'm with Levi it would seem- and this woman has turned me into a blushing schoolgirl twice in under a minute.

"No, nothing is going on between us.  He's a professional soccer player and I'm just a college student.  I don't even know how life brought me here with him, but nothing is happening."

She just offers me a knowing smile.  I don't know how to interpret that, so I just don't say anything.  After a few more minutes, she lifts the paper towels away and hurray!  No more bleeding!  She helps me sit up and my head spins, but nothing drips from my nose.  I clean up the blood drying on my face and straighten out my clothes before following her out of the bathroom.

Levi is standing near the door, talking with Mike and Erwin.  The three of them look up as we leave the bathroom.  I only half notice Erwin, Hanji, and Mike heading to the bar, leaving Levi and I standing alone.  He looks me over, and I manage to convince myself that it's not worry that I see in his eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asks me.

I nod, rubbing the back of my neck.  "Yeah, I'm fine.  I get nosebleeds a lot.  Sorry about that."

"Don't apologize," he snorts.  He hesitates for a moment, then asks, "Do you want me to take you home?"

"No," I reply.  "I'm having fun.  Well... I was having fun, before my nose turned into a fucking waterfall."

He looks at me in disgust, then shakes his head and heads back into the bar.  I follow behind him with a smile on my face.  I don't care what he or anyone says.  He totally cares about me.  He just offered to leave a party with all of his friends so he could take me home if I wasn't feeling up to staying.  That is surprisingly sweet, coming from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aston Martin Vanquish is my dream car. Just putting that out there. It's the most beautiful hunk of metal I've ever seen. And kudos to those who predicted the eruhan, although I tried really hard to make it obvious X3
> 
> And I definitely am tracking the tag 'fic: fotp' now. I think I've finally figured all that crap out XD Find me on Tumblr [titaneren-jaeger](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Also, someone on tumblr asked me to elaborate a little more on how Eren's stress affects his hemophilia, so if you're at all curious, you can find that [here](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/post/113615053330/). I didn't want to post it here, or in the fic, because I can't guarantee the accuracy of the studies I've skimmed, and you all know how I am with inaccuracies so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	8. Star Athlete Finally Gets What He Wants!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update?? Yes! For those of you that didn't see my announcement/don't follow me on tumblr, I'll explain why here as well. Because back when I first started posting this fic and I had taken a chainsaw to the whole thing, somehow I goofed and ended up with this chapter that was shorter than the rest. I just realized this last week, so instead of struggling to relocate chapter breaks for the next dozen chapters, I decided I'm just going to post two chapters this week. ALSO I just found out literally yesterday that my university is having their first ever con this weekend, and I want to go, so I'll probably post the next chapter on Monday instead of Saturday. So the schedule is going to be really weird this week, but you get two chapters and then next weekend updates will resume as normal. Good?
> 
> Also, there's a little bit of repetitiveness at the start of this chapter, which I usually try to avoid at all costs, but I really wanted to show Levi's thoughts on the situation with Eren's nosebleed. Mostly I just wanted to show his conversation with Isabel. So sorry for that!

**Levi**

"Can I talk to you for a minute, Levi?" Isabel asks, and I can hear the warning in her voice.

Ah fuck.  I'm not sure what this is about, but I can guess.  I exhale sharply and take a long swallow of my whiskey before following her away from the bar.  She leads me into a quiet corner and turns on me.

"You're not going to ruin that poor kid, are you?" she snaps at me.  "He's just too sweet and innocent and cute!  I know what you do with the men you bring home, and you _can't_ do that to that little cutie.  I will never forgive you if you destroy him.  He is too sweet and he won't be able to handle your crazy bedroom habits.  You can't turn him into one of your playthings that lasts one night before you throw it away.  I mean look at his face!  He's so innocent that it hurts me.  If you ruin him I will hurt you."

I roll my eyes at her rant.  "He's not my plaything," I respond.  "He's different than the others."  I don't explain why that is, because honestly I can't.  He drew my attention because I thought he was being abused, but now that I've been around him a lot and have gotten to know him, I'm not so sure.  He doesn't act like an abuse victim.  He's too... high-spirited and in love with life.  He seems to treat his bruises more like a nuisance.  There's definitely a reason behind his bruises, but I don't think it's abuse anymore.

My vague answer seems to calm Isabel down enough though, and she seems genuinely intrigued.

"Is he the reason you haven't picked anyone up in a while?"

I just stare at her with a frown, and that is enough of an answer for her apparently, because she smiles and rests a hand on my bicep.

"I'm glad, Levi."

That's all she says, turning on her heel and heading back to the bar.  I follow behind her, but my mind isn't as easily able to move past that conversation.  Her words ring in my head.  No, I don't want to ruin Eren with my normal sexual habits.  Would I like to get there with him one day?  Oh fuck yes.  But I want to get there the right way.  I want him to be comfortable with me.  I want him to willingly come back for more.

God what's happening to me?  I've never had these thoughts in my head before.  Normally when I see something I like, I take it, do shameful things to it, then send it on its way never to be heard from again.  But Eren is different, and I don't know why, but it's driving me crazy.

Eren looks over at me with a question in his eyes, and I quickly try to figure out what he and Isabel were saying while I was spacing out.  I decide just to nod.  He accepts that, so I pick up my whiskey and take a sip.  When I look back up at Eren, I notice a bead of red drip from his nose.  I frown.

"Eren, you're bleeding," I tell him.

What I'm not expecting is the look of confusion, then of absolute horror that crosses his face.  He looks like I just told him I fucking killed his puppy.  Before I can say anything else, he grabs a fistful of napkins and presses them to his nose, taking off away from the bar.  I quickly down the rest of my whiskey before climbing off the stool to follow him.

When I find him, I see Erwin's date leading him into the girl's bathroom.  Erwin is watching the pair as well, looking as confused as I feel.

"What's going on?" he asks me.

"I have no fucking clue," I reply, staring at the door to the women's bathroom.  I would actually really like to know the answer to that question.  It was just a nosebleed, right?  I remember Eren calling Erwin's date- fuck I can't remember her name- 'doctor'.  Is that why he ran to her?  Why does he need a doctor for a simple nosebleed?  And why did four-eyes seem worried?  Should I be worried?  Fuck, I'm already worried.

"Should we go make sure they're okay?" Erwin questions.

"They went into the girl's bathroom," I point out.

"Oh don't be a prude.  It's not like they're _going_ to the bathroom.  They're just... _in_ the bathroom?"

I roll my eyes at his wonderfully constructed sentences, but follow him anyway as he walks over to the bathroom.  To my relief, he doesn't actually go in.  He just pushes the door open a crack and calls into the room.

Four-eyes calls back an affirmation that everything is okay, and that's enough for me, I guess, and I almost leave until Erwin opens his big fucking mouth.

"Levi will never admit it, but he's worried about Eren and wants to know if he's okay," Erwin says, shooting me a wink, as if that makes what he just said okay.

"Shut the fuck up, shitty eyebrows," I retort, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Aw, how sweet Levi!" four-eyes calls, and has the audacity to laugh.  "Eren is fine.  Just a little nosebleed."

"He needs a doctor for a little nosebleed?" I question, not really buying what she's saying.

"Yes, he does, short stack," four-eyes replies.

I blink a few times before charging towards the door.  "The fuck did you just call me?"

Erwin's hand on my arm stops me from storming into the bathroom and giving that shitty four-eyes a piece of my mind.  His eyes are glowing with amusement.  Yes, because that was sooo funny.  Ha fucking ha.

...

The party drags on well into the night.  It's nearing one in the morning when I notice that Eren is starting to fall asleep at the bar, his half-finished beer sitting by his elbow.  I know he's not drunk.  That's the only drink he's had all night.  He must be tired.  And I'll admit that he has looked a little pale ever since he had that nosebleed.  I probably should've just taken him home, even though he said he was fine.  Or maybe gotten him some water.  I bet that would've been much better for him than a beer.

I call for the bartender to bring me a cup of water, then nudge Eren's side with my elbow.  He startles awake, almost knocking over his beer as he straightens and looks around.  The confused look on his face is actually adorable.

Wait... where the fuck did that come from?  Adorable?  Really?  I shake my head hard to clear those moronic thoughts, then push the glass of water towards him.

"Drink that, and then I'll take you home," I tell him.

He nods and chugs the rest of his beer before downing the entire glass of water.  He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.  Gross.  I say my goodbyes to everyone that's still here, then lead Eren out of the bar and towards the parking lot.

He climbs into the passenger's side of my car, and seems wide awake now as I pull out of the parking lot and onto the street.  We don't say a single word to each other until we get to his apartment complex and I pull into an empty space.

"This was really fun," he tells me with that damned huge smile that does weird things to me.  "Thanks for inviting me.  Despite what happened, I really did enjoy myself."

"Good," I reply, not sure what else to say.

"Well, yeah... thanks, and I guess I'll see you at practice tomorrow," he says, reaching for the door handle.

"We don't have practice tomorrow.  We have an away match," I tell him.

"Oh, that's right," he says.  "At Sunday afternoon practice then?"

I nod, and he opens the door to climb out.  Ah fuck- "Wait."

He looks back at me, the car door hanging open and one foot on the asphalt.  My mind wars with itself, taking a full second to race through the pros and cons before finally deciding that I already stopped him, so I might as well say it.  Jesus fucking Christ, since when has the thought of a hookup made me so nervous and cautious?

"You never did come over to my place to celebrate placing at the art show," I start off by saying.

He looks at me in confusion.  "That's because I went out with my friends."

I exhale in exasperation and lean my head back against the head rest.  This brat, I swear to god....

"Yes, I know.  That was me inviting you back to my place tonight.  If you'd like," I say, looking back over at him.

His eyes are wide, and he takes forever to think about it.  Would you just make up your mind already?  My heart feels like it's going to leap out of my chest over here....  I don't think this brat realizes how goddamn nervous I am about that invitation.  Something is seriously wrong with me.  I'm usually so much more smooth about this shit.  And I'm not so nervous.  What's the worst that can happen?  He'll say no, and then I'll start over in trying to seduce him.  Although, I'm pretty sure I already have him wrapped around my little-

"Sure," he says with a smile, although I can sense that he's probably more nervous than I am.

I try to hide my relief as he pulls his leg back inside the car and closes the door.  Wow, this is really happening.  I actually wasn't expecting him to agree to come back with me.  My mind starts running through all of the things I want to do to him tonight, and I can already feel myself starting to get hard.  Isabel's words run through my head though, and I decide that I really should reign myself back tonight.  Fuck, this kid might not even realize what I meant by my invitation.

I can practically feel his nervousness as I weave my way into downtown, towards the high rises and the rich side of town.  I feel like I should say something, but I don't know what I could possibly say.  Judging by his nervousness, I have to guess though that he does in fact know what I was implying in my invitation.  And since he agreed to the invitation, that means he's... consenting, right?

God damn it I need to stop thinking about this shit.  I'll just let whatever happens, happen.  If that means I get to fuck him into next week, splendid.  If that means he just crashes in the guest bedroom and I have to wank off in the shower, then so be it.

We get to my apartment and I park my car in the below-ground parking garage for my building.  He follows me into the elevator, and watches as I take out my key and put it in the little slot, then push the button for my floor.

"The top half of this building are all full-floor suites.  You need a key in order to go up to those floors," I explain to him.

He nods, and the ride up to my floor is awkwardly quiet.  Should I say something?  Should I touch him?  Should I even do anything?  Well I don't, and when we get to my floor and the elevator opens into my front room, he follows me into my apartment.

"Wow, this is nice," he says, looking around, even though the apartment is dark.

I flip on a few lights as I make my way over to the kitchen.  What am I doing?  Usually this is where I lead my soon to be sexual partner into my bedroom and do unspeakable things to them all night long.  I open the cupboard and pull out two glasses.  Pouring us both a cup of water, I take his over to him where he's still standing in the front room looking around.

"Drink that," I tell him.  I'll never admit it out loud but I'm still slightly worried about him because of his nosebleed during the party.  "Make yourself comfortable.  Just don't make a mess."

He murmurs a 'thank you' and sits down hesitantly on the couch, sipping at his water.  I drink mine as well.  Usually I would've poured myself a whiskey, or something else hard, but I've already had enough tonight, even though I didn't even drink very much.  We have an away match though tomorrow, and I don't want to overdo it.  Loosening my cravat, I leave Eren alone in the front room, heading into my bedroom to change out of this damned monkey suit.

Dressed in a pair of black sweats and a white tee-shirt, I slowly sit down on the edge of my bed.  Shit.  What the fuck am I doing?  Why did I invite Eren back to my place again?  At first it was because I just wanted to get laid, but now I'm not so sure.  I could easily seduce him into my bed, that's not the issue here.  It's obvious that the brat is obsessed with me.  I see it every time I even speak to him.  But is that because I'm famous, or because he actually has sexual feelings towards me?  Is he even gay or is he just in awe of his idol?  I want him to sleep with me because that's what _he_ wants, and not just because I seduced him.

Having made the decision to hold off on the sex until I've learned more about the kid, until I know it's what he wants too, I head out into the front room.  He's still sitting exactly where I left him, and looks up when I enter.

"Can I get you anything?" I ask him.  "I know it's late, and you're probably tired, so if you want to go to bed I'll show you to the guest bedroom."

He doesn't say anything for a moment, fiddling nervously with his hands.  Then he looks back up at me, a steely determination in his eyes that kind of surprises me.

"Levi, why did you invite me back here?" he asks me.

He looks at me expectantly, as if he knows the answer, and he just wants to hear it from me.  He just wants me to verify what he thinks my motives are.  I don't respond, just stare right back at him.  For some reason I don't want to tell him why I brought him back here.  Now that I've made up my mind, I don't want to tell him that I invited him here to fuck him.  But my silence is enough of an answer for him, and he nods, crossing the room towards me.

I watch him in confusion as he stops right in front of me, so close I can feel his breath on my forehead.  Yes, my forehead, because everyone and their fucking mother is taller than me.  He looks at me for a long time, and I'm about to demand he fucking say something or get out of my face, when he leans down and his lips meet mine.

Okay, so I don't do the whole kissing thing.  I've had partners try to kiss me before, and I always shove them away.  But the second Eren's lips meet mine, my initial rejection dies and I find myself almost enjoying the kiss.  It doesn't last very long though before he pulls away to look at me again.

"I want to do this, but I want to ask a question first," he says.

I frown, looking up to meet his stunning eyes.  "And what would that be?"

"Why me?  You're a celebrity.  You're famous.  Surely you could do better than me.  So why me?" he asks.

The question throws me off.  That's not really what I was expecting from him, although truth be told I didn't know what to expect.  I try to think of the answer for that question.  Honestly, most of the guys I pick up in bars are Joe Shmoe nobodies, but that's not the right answer to give him.  He's not just a random hookup to me.  He's something more than that.

"Because I find you interesting," I reply honestly.  "Something about you won't let me leave you alone."

His eyes are wide at my explanation.  Wow, aren't we both just full of surprising things today.  He seems rather pleased with my response though, so I grab a fistful of his shirt and start to drag him back to my bedroom.  He gave me the go-ahead.  He told me that he wanted to do this.  I answered his question, so now the fun can begin.  Fuck my stupid decision to leave him alone.  He wants me.  He's going to get me.

As we reach my bedroom though, he hesitates in the doorway.  I turn to look back at him in confusion, but the worried look on his face stops my snide retort before I can say it.

"Can you promise me one thing though?" he says, and his voice is kind of small.

"Depends," I reply.  I'm shocked at the part of me that jumps on those words, that wants to give this brat anything he could ever want.  But someone in my position has to be very careful about making promises.  It could ruin me.

"If we do this, promise me that this won't be the last time I ever see you.  Promise me that we can still, you know... at least be friends."

That makes me smile.  I wasn't lying when I told him that there's something about him that keeps drawing me in.  It won't be very hard for me at all to keep that promise.  Taking his wrist, I lead him the rest of the way into my room and push him back onto my bed.

"Deal."

He seems relieved by my promise, but he also looks nervous as I pull off my shirt and sweatpants, leaving me in my boxer briefs that don't do anything to conceal the fact that I'm already half hard.  I crawl on top of him and latch my lips onto his neck, suckling and surely leaving bruises as I start to work the buttons of his shirt open.  He swallows hard, and a quite whimper leaves his lips as I start to unbuckle his belt.  I can feel that he's already getting hard, so he's obviously aroused, but the strange sound has me looking up at his face.

Fuck I almost come right then and there.  His head is turned to the side, a bright blush covering his cheeks.  His eyes are half lidded and worried, and he bites at his lower lip.  Jesus fucking Christ this kid looks so innocently sexy and so god damn fuckable.  But it's the worry in his eyes that makes my fingers hesitate in unbuttoning his pants.

"Are you alright?" I question him warily.  "You look like I'm about to eat you."

"S-Sorry," he stutters, looking up at me.  "I've just... never done this before."

"Never done what?" I ask.  "Had sex with a celebrity?  Had sex with a guy?"  He doesn't respond, only looking more nervous and slightly embarrassed.  "Had sex with anybody?"

His eyes flicker up to mine.  You've got to be shitting me....

"Jesus Christ....  You're a virgin?  How old are you anyway?"

He frowns before answering.  "I'm twenty."

" _Twenty_?  Fuck, is this even legal?" I question in disbelief.  I always call him brat, or kid, but it was just as a joke, like teasing him for looking younger than he really was.  I didn't realize he was actually as young as he looks.

He snorts.  "Yeah, it's legal!  Age of consent is like, eighteen or something...."

I sigh.  "Fuck, I've never had a virgin before....  Well, I'll just apologize before hand for being your first.  Hopefully I don't set your standard too high," I joke, then more seriously, "I'll try not to hurt you, but it could be a little painful.  My safe word is 'red', so if at any time you get uncomfortable, just say that safe word and I'll stop."  I've never had to deal with being someone's first before.  It's actually quite annoying.  Is there anything else I should tell him?  Should I do things differently?  I'm going to have to be a lot more gentle than I'd like to be.

He nods, and I finish pulling off his pants.  Color burns on his cheeks as I raise an eyebrow at him.  His boxers are light blue with little ducks on them.  It's actually really cute, in a stupid way, but I'll never admit that out loud.

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone to be undressing me today..." he says.

I roll my eyes at him and disregard his duck boxers in favor of running my hands up his smooth stomach and biting at his neck.  I struggle to keep from grabbing at him, from tying him up, from gagging him, from doing all of the things I normal do to my partners.  This is his first time, so I need to take it easy with him.  And I don't want to scare him away.  I think over Isabel's words again.  I don't want to ruin him.  I'm willing to continue at the pace he sets.

Looking over Eren's stunning, near naked body laid out beneath me, and the innocent and sweet look on his face, that's going to be really hard.  I don't know why, but this brat is driving me crazy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh! And my amazing [waifu](http://nagisaisaprisonassmotherfucker.tumblr.com/) drew me [fanart](http://nagisaisaprisonassmotherfucker.tumblr.com/post/113666575512/eren-and-levi-from-zoey04ereri-s-fic-freedom-of)! I may or may not have squealed really loud when I saw it :3 It totally made my week :D Go check it out!


	9. College Student Loses His Innocence (Finally)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late! It's still technically Monday where I live, but I meant to have this up much much earlier. I got called in to cover the closing shift at work and had no time at all today to post this. Sorry guys :/ Anyways, commence with the smut! :3

**Eren**

Oh my god this is really happening.  I never in a million years would've thought that I'd lose my virginity to Levi fucking Ackerman.  I try to relax as I marvel his perfect body.  I swear it's been crafted by the gods.  The gods of sex.  Jesus, I can't help myself as I trail my fingers down his sculpted chest and abs.  He shivers under my touch, and his stunning blue-grey eyes burn with lust.

His lips trail down my neck, sucking at the skin, and I know I'm going to be covered in hickies tomorrow morning.  His suckling combined with my penchant to bruise easily isn't going to combine well.  But right now I don't really give a fuck as I feel him start to pull down my boxers, freeing my already hard cock.  An involuntary gasp leaves my lips when his hand wraps around my length, pulling at it in one long stroke.

Fuck what do I even do?  Should I be touching him too?  He still has those sinfully tight boxer briefs on, and although they don't leave much to the imagination, I still want to see it.  His hand on my cock though and his free hand leaving burning trails down my side make it hard to think.  I manage to find the hem of his underwear and he sits up slightly to let me remove them.

My eyes widen when his cock springs free from his briefs.  Oh my god he has a dick piercing.  The small curved barbell sits on the underside of his cock, just below the head.  I reach out to touch it, and Levi exhales sharply, a sinful sound escaping his lips.  His whole body is shaking, seemingly trying to restrain himself.  His hands grip at my hips and suddenly he's flipping me over onto my stomach.  I watch, my heart in my throat, as he reaches over to his bedside table and pulls out a small tube and a condom.  Then, he's back on top of me, his lips biting at the skin between my shoulders as his hands pull my hips up off the bed.

"I've waited a long time for this, Eren," he breathes into my back, his voice low and thick with lust.

I shudder at his tone, my cock throbbing.  Damn I have never been so aroused in my life.  I can't help that little bit of nervousness though that won't go away.  He said it could be a little painful.  He has a safe word.  Will I need to use that safe word?  Has he had people use it on him before?  Is this going to be that rough?  What if he accidentally draws blood?  How embarrassing that would be, to have to rush to the hospital half way through sex so that I don't bleed out.  Talk about awkward.

All nervousness immediately fades away when I feel Levi's slicked finger circle my entrance, then press in.  Shit, did I just groan?  I can feel the pain caused by the intruding finger, but as he presses his finger all the way in, pleasure slowly but surely starts to mask the pain.  My hips rut back into his hand, seemingly of their own accord, and I hear him chuckle.

"Impatient, are we?" he growls into my back, slowly drawing his finger back out of my ass before shoving it back in.

I hiss at the pain and pleasure both, my eyes pinching closed as I bury my face in the pillows.  A second finger joins the first, and I almost forget where I am, who I'm with, my entire focus revolving around those two fingers shoved up my ass.  Those fingers curl, and an intense wave of pleasure spasms through me, making me gasp and my hands fist in the sheets.  I don't know what the hell just happened, but _damn_ can he do it again?

"Found it," Levi says, and I can hear the smirk in his voice.

I really wish I could see the man's face as he fingers me, but I don't say anything.  He was the one who flipped me over, and I really don't want to challenge him.  Maybe he doesn't want to look at me while he fucks me.  This isn't really how I imagined my first time, but honestly I'm not complaining.  The man that has been the object of all my fantasies since high school has his fingers in my ass.

Levi's fingers stretch and prepare me, and it feels so fucking good that I can't imagine what it will feel like to actually have his cock in me.  And with that piercing?  Shit I want him to fuck me so bad....

When those two fingers leave my entrance, I almost whine at the loss, but manage to bite my lip and hold back the embarrassing noise.  I look back over my shoulder at Levi, and watch him roll a condom onto his thick cock, then spread a generous amount of lube over the condom.  His eyes meet mine and he hesitates, his cock poised at my entrance.

He sits back slightly and his hands grab my hips to roll me onto my back.  I look up at him in surprise as he lifts my hips and positions himself between my legs.

"This isn't how I normally do this," he explains.  "So bear with me here."

What does he mean this isn't how he normally does this?  Are there different ways to have sex?  Does this have to do with his safe word?  Maybe that's why he seems so reserved, like he's holding himself back.  Maybe he really is trying not to be too rough with me.  I don't want him to hold himself back though, even though I don't know what he's holding himself back from.  I want him to enjoy this too.

"You don't have to hold yourself back," I tell him.

He shakes his head sharply with a frown.  "You don't even know what I want to do to you right now," he breathes, his voice thick with need.  "I don't want to scare you off.  Or hurt you.  We'll work our way up to that, I promise you."

My eyes are wide.  I can't even imagine the things that are going though his mind, the things he wants to work his way up to.  But I nod and he bows over me, his hands tightening on my hips as his cock starts to push into me.  I hold my breath and try to relax as I feel a sharp burn, my entrance stretching to accommodate his thick cock.  I groan as his head pushes into me, and I feel the balls of his piecing through the condom.  Oh _fuck_ it feels so good.  He continues to push into me, stretching and filling me.  Shit I feel like I'm about to rip in half.  It hurts, but at the same time I want so much more.

"Fuck, you're so tight," Levi breathes.  His face is contorted in sheer pleasure and lust, and I'm so glad I get to see it.

As he pushes all the way into me, he groans into my neck and I let out a shamefully loud moan.  I can't help it.  It just feels so god damn good.  I rut back against Levi's hips and he growls into my neck.  His arms are shaking, and I know it's because he's still struggling to hold himself back.  He pulls away from me so that he can take hold of the headboard, giving him something to grab on to, and providing him with extra leverage as he starts to pull out of me, only to thrust back in.  _Fuck_!  Shit, I think I said that out loud.

"Say that again," Levi's husky voice growls, his tone demanding.

"Fuck..." I groan, then cry out when he slams back into me, hitting that sweet spot.

Levi thrusts into me, skin slapping against skin, and I'm totally lost in the intense pleasure of it.  I find my hands grabbing at his sides, at his back, trying to find something to cling to as he fucks me into the mattress.

"Say my name."  Again, his voice has that throaty, commanding ring to it, and I can't help but obey.

"L-Levi," I stutter as his cock hits my prostate.  "Fuck, Levi...."

"Mmm that's right," he purrs.  His movements slow.  "Beg."

"What...?" I question in confusion.  I'm too focused on his cock slowly sliding in and out of me.  I want, no, I _need_ him to go faster, harder.

"Beg," he demands again, releasing the headboard so he can bow over me and bite at my neck.  He really likes to do that, but hey I don't mind.  You know... as long as he doesn't break the skin.

"Please... please Levi," I whine like a slut.  It actually excites me a little bit, and my neglected cock twitches.

He pulls back from my neck and his fiery silver eyes burn into mine.  There is so much lust in that look, and it's so hot that it should be illegal.  "Please what?" he says, but thrusts his cock deep inside me before slowly drawing it out.

"Ahh!  P-Please fuck me!  Please... I need your cock," I beg.

That seems to be good enough for him.  He growls and his hands grab at my hips, holding me in place as he begins to fuck me with vigor.  Sounds are leaving my lips, but I can't say with any certainty what they are.  I try to say his name, to tell him how good he feels inside me, but I'm pretty sure everything that comes out of my mouth is completely unintelligible.  I can feel his piercing through the condom, the balls messaging at my passage, and it drives me crazy.

"Fuck, Eren," he growls, his fingers digging into my hips hard enough to bruise a normal person.  On me, well... it's going to look like he tried to kill me tomorrow.  "God, you're so fucking good."

"Ungh, L-Levi!  Fuck..." I manage to groan.

I don't know what possesses me to reach up and grab the back of his neck, pulling him down into a deep kiss, but I do.  He tenses, his movements faltering slightly.  I noticed it before, but it seems that he has an issue with kissing.  He doesn't pull away from me though, and after a few seconds, his movements speed back up and he actually bites at my lower lip.  I part my lips for him and his tongue dives into my mouth.

When we both pull back to breathe, I wrap my arms around his upper body, dragging my nails down his back.  "Fuck, Levi... harder, harder..." I moan, sounding like a wanton whore.

His hands are wandering now as he complies to my request.  He grab at my arms, pinning them above my head.  He grips at my biceps, then up to my wrists.  I feel him reposition his knees, using them to hold my thighs further apart.

I can feel my orgasm approaching.  I can feel the burning in my groin, snaking its way up to my aching cock.  Fuck, he hasn't even touched my cock yet and I'm already about to come.  Just then, as if reading my mind, one of his hands leaves where they're holding my wrists to fist my cock and begin pumping it in time to his thrusts.  It's enough to make me come, and I scream his name, coating his hand and my stomach with the hot fluids.

"Oh _fuck_ Eren," he groans as he comes then as well, his hands squeezing my sides impossibly hard.  His hips slow as he pumps through his orgasm, until he finally stills altogether.

The only sounds in the dark bedroom is the sound of our heavy breathing.  He shudders as he pulls his softening member out of me, sitting back onto his heels.

"Fuck, you were great, Eren," he says, still slightly out of breath.

I don't even have the energy to reply to that.  He climbs off the bed and heads into what I suspect is his bedroom.  I should clean myself up as well, but I can't bring myself to move.  Everything feels just so... good.  I just got fucked by Levi Ackerman.  My signature shit-eating grin threatens to split my face in half as I grin up at the ceiling.

"What the fuck are you smiling about?" Levi says, tossing a damp cloth onto my stomach.

"That was awesome," I tell him, using the cloth to clean myself up.  Wow, that sounded really lame, but right now, I don't give two shits.

He snorts.  "Good.  I'm glad I didn't traumatize you," he retorts, climbing back onto the bed and rolling onto his side, facing away from me.  "It's late, and I have to get up somewhat early tomorrow morning.  Go to sleep."

I do as he says, climbing underneath the covers.  Everything falls silent for a long moment, and I look over at the back of Levi's head.  Without really even thinking about it, I roll over to him and nuzzle the back of his neck, draping an arm over his waist.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he snaps at me.  "I don't cuddle."

"Sorry," I murmur, rolling away from him again.

I face him though, laying on my side and tracing the lines of his neck and shoulders with my eyes.  This still feels kind of surreal to me.  I'm in bed with my idol.  I've had numerous wet dreams and fantasies that ended up like this, but I never imagined they'd come true.  Not in a million years.  Yet here I am, laying naked in Levi's bed, with Levi equally as naked, the both of us coming down off of a sex high.

Even though he doesn't want to cuddle with me, I'm still ridiculously happy.  Life is good.  And it's with these thoughts in my head that my tiredness finally takes over and I fall asleep.

...

"LEVI!"

The shrill female voice wakes me immediately, and I bolt upright.  I hiss at the pain in my lower back and ass, but the sharpness of it quickly fades into a dull throb.  It takes a minute for me to fully wake up, and when I do, I realize that I'm sitting naked in Levi's bed, and that I'm alone.  The bedroom door is wide open though, and I just catch the sight of red pigtails disappearing from the hall outside the bedroom.  I quickly pull the sheets up around me though to better cover my manhood.

"Shit, you're going to wake him up," I hear Levi's voice reply.  "Fuck you probably woke everybody up within a three floor radius."

"Why is he even here?!  We talked about this!  And have you even _seen_ him?  What did you _do_ to him?!"  It's Isabel's voice, I realize.  I think Levi said she is his agent.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

Yeah, what is she talking about?  I look around for my clothes, deciding that I don't want to listen to them talk about me anymore, but I can't find them.  The room is clean, the clothes Levi and I shed last night in our haste nowhere to be found.  Shit.  So I take the sheet off the bed and wrap it around my waist before heading out into the front room.  Well isn't this embarrassing....  I'm dressed in a bed sheet and I'm pretty sure I'm waddling from the throbbing pain in my ass.

When I enter the front room, I see Levi in the kitchen making something over the stove.  He's wearing only a loose white tee-shirt and dark blue boxers.  I don't know why but I have the strongest urge to rip them off of his built frame and have him bend me over the kitchen island, despite the pain my ass is already in.  But Isabel, standing in the front room with her hands on her hips, ripping into Levi keeps me from giving into those urges.

"You promised me you wouldn't ruin that poor boy and now look at him!" she shouts at Levi, gesturing towards me.

Levi's eyes look up from the pan on the stove and when they fall on me, they widen.  I'm almost scared by what I see in those steel grey eyes.  I've never seen that look in them before.  Is he... worried?  It makes me look down to see what he could possibly looking at.  When I do, I sigh.

Dark black and blue bruises cover my hips and sides, and up and down my arms.  They perfectly match Levi's fingers, covering all the places he grabbed and held me last night.  I can't see my legs, but now that I'm noticing the bruising, I can feel the dull throb of bruises on my thighs, where his knees held my legs apart.  I also can't see my collar bones and neck, but I know they're probably also covered in bruises that aren't nearly as attractive as hickies normally look.

"Fuck... Eren, you should've said something if I was hurting you," Levi says, crossing the short distance between us to take a closer look.  "Jesus Christ, I didn't think I was holding you that hard...."

One of his hands comes up to perfectly layer his fingers over the bruises on my upper arm.  I step back from him, rubbing at my arm, as if that can make these stupid bruises go away.  I look like a damned giraffe.  I look like Levi beat the shit out of me rather than had sex with me.  He's probably never going to have sex with me again.  Just the thought crushes me.

"I'm fine.  You didn't hurt me," I tell him.  "I just bruise really easily.  You've seen me bruised before.  Remember?  You teased me for kind of regularly running into posts."

He nods, but still looks worried as he looks over my half naked body.  "I remember."

"Seriously, Levi, don't worry about it.  You didn't hurt me."

I hear Isabel sigh, and she walks up to us.  Levi takes that moment to head back to the stove.  I instinctively clutch the bed sheet tighter around my waist.

"Are you sure you're okay, dear?  He didn't force you to do anything... weird, did he?" she questions me.

"Isabel," Levi snaps, shooting her a warning look.

"Uh, no....  He didn't force me to do anything," I reassure her, although I wonder what she means behind that question.  What does she mean when she says 'weird'?  What does she think Levi did to me?

"Alright.  Go get dressed dear, then I'm going to have you sign something," Isabel tells me.

"Isabel..." Levi's warning voice says again.

Sign something?  What is she talking about?  But more importantly....  "Uh, Levi?  Where are my clothes?" I ask him.

"I washed them.  They were dirty," he explains.

He turns the stove off and motions with a finger for me to follow him.  I follow him into the hallway that leads to his bedroom, and he stops at one of the doors, pulling it open to reveal a small laundry room.  He opens the dryer and riffles through the freshly washed clothes, tossing me my articles of clothing as he finds them.  When he closes the dryer though, he looks me over, that same worried expression still in his eyes.  He looks like he's about to say something, but then frowns and walks around me back into the hallway.

I stop him before he gets too far away though.  I need to clear this up before he starts avoiding me for the rest of our lives.  "Levi.  I had fun last night.  I really did.  Uh, thank you, I guess."

He chuckles, but it's kind of dark.  "Was your first time all you hoped it would be?  Sorry it was so... rough."  His eyes flicker down to my bruises as he says that.  "I feel like an asshole for doing this to you."

"It was better," I reassure him, answering his question.  "And this would've happened with anyone else too.  It'll probably happen every time I have sex.  Embarrassing, right?" I say, forcing a laugh as I rub at the back of my neck.  "Well... I'm going to go put my clothes on before I can make this more awkward than it already is."

"Yes, please do," Levi says, but his smile is genuine and he doesn't look so guilty.

I head into his bedroom with a smile of my own.  But before I pull on my clothes, I drop the bed sheet and head to the bathroom to check out my bruises.  Standing in front of the mirror, I can understand why Levi felt guilty.  I'm literally covered in long, thin bruises matching the shape of his fingers.  They cover my arms and down my sides.  There are so many on my hips though that they really just bleed together to form large blobs of bruises.  Two large round bruises sit starkly against my tan skin on the inside of my thighs.  My neck and collar bones aren't as bad as I expected though.  There are a few very faint crescent shaped bruises from where he bit me, but mostly there are a bunch of hickies.  And they actually look like hickies too, instead of ugly black and blue bruises.  I actually kind of like those.  But the rest of me....  It really does look like Levi beat the shit out of me.

Heading back into the bedroom, I quickly get dressed, then make Levi's bed before going back out to the front room.  Levi and Isabel are sitting eating breakfast, and Levi gestures with his fork to where a third plate is sitting next to him at the kitchen island.

"Sit," he tells me.  "Eat."

I nod and take the seat next to him.  Isabel slides a piece of paper and a pen towards me.  I raise an eyebrow, pausing in taking a bite of the scrambled eggs.

"Please read that and sign," Isabel tells me, and I hear Levi sigh beside me.

"What is it?" I ask.

"It's this stupid thing that, unfortunately, all of my sexual partners have to sign," Levi starts to explain.  "See, the thing is, the world doesn't know I'm gay, and it needs to stay that way.  This is basically a confidentiality agreement, saying that if you tell anyone I prefer cock over pussy, I can sue you."

Isabel doesn't seem fazed by Levi's crude language, but I'm left blushing like a virgin schoolgirl.  "Oh... okay."

I pick up the pen and quickly scrawl my signature across the bottom of the page.

"Sorry we have to swear you to secrecy, sweetie," Isabel apologizes, "but it's for Levi's protection.  It also kind of works as a consent form to keep people from claiming rape.  For some unfathomable reason, people love to brag about sleeping with celebrities, and they also love to try and sue celebrities on the claim of rape."

"I get it," I reassure them, recalling more than one news story where someone accuses someone of fame of rape.  Sometimes it's proven that they really were raped, but other times it's proven that it was a lie to get either money or fame.

"Once you finish eating, I'll take you home," Levi tells me.  "I have to head to the airport in an hour to catch our flight."

I nod.  "Yeah, I should probably head home soon anyway.  My sister won't be happy with me-"

Mikasa!  Shit.  I never told her I was going out last night, and I never told her I wouldn't be coming home last night.  I mean, I know that _I_ didn't even know I wouldn't be coming home, but I could've at least left her a voicemail or a text when I agreed to go home with Levi.  Shit....  How am I going to explain all of this?  I obviously can't tell her I was with Levi.  I'll have to come up with something else.  That's not going to be easy.

"Where's my phone?  I need to see if my sister called.  She probably did..." I say in embarrassment.  I love Mikasa, but she can be a little overbearing sometimes.

Levi gestures towards the end of the kitchen island where, sure enough, my phone is sitting.  "It was in the pocket of your pants."

I reach over and grab it, turning it on before wincing.  Twelve texts and four missed calls.  Most are from Mikasa, but one call and two texts are from Armin.  I scroll through my contacts and my finger hovers over Connie's number.  No, Connie won't work, because he lives in the same complex as us.  I need someone else....  I grimace before clicking the only option I think will have the best probability of working.

_"What is it, Eren?  You do realize it's really fucking early, don't you?"_

"Good morning to you too, horseface," I retort, and both Levi and Isabel look at me with raised eyebrows.  "Look, I need a favor."

 _"So you insult me, and then ask me for a favor?"_ Jean questions.

"Please, Jean?  You owe me one," I plead.

_"Why do I owe you a favor?"_

"I got your Schultz jersey signed for you.  You owe me one," I argue.

He's silent for a long minute, then I hear him sigh.  _"What do you need?"_

"Can I tell Mikasa and Armin that I was with you last night?  Mikasa will probably never even question me, but if she does, I need you to have my back," I ask of him.

_"Okay, when you say you were with me last night, do you mean with me chilling or with me, uhm... sexually?"_

"Ew, no, never in a million years, horseface.  And I know you and Marco are a thing, so I'm not going to mess with that," I tell him.  "We went to a bar, and I was too drunk to walk home, so you offered me your couch to crash on."

_"Fine, whatever."_

"Thanks," I tell him sincerely.  "So you want to come over and watch the Scouts match tonight?  It's going to be a good one."

_"Will the beer be provided?"_

"Yes," I exhale.  "I'll provide the beer."

_"Then I'll be there."_

"See you tonight, Jean.  And thanks."

I hang up and shove my phone into my pocket.  Levi is looking at me with amusement in his eyes.  "What makes you think the match is going to be a good one?  It's against Stohess.  They're arguably the best team in the league right now."

"Well, I heard that the grumpy, old center striker of theirs got lucky last night," I tease with a wink in his direction.

His amusement grows and he actually smirks, leaning back in his chair.  He looks me over with a hunger in his eyes that makes my heart flutter.

"That he did," he nearly purrs.

Okay, I lost control of that situation much too quickly.  I try to think of a way to recover, but then Isabel clears her throat, reminding us that she is still in fact here.  I duck my head, slightly embarrassed that I had totally forgotten that Levi and I weren't alone.

"Okay, sex fiend," she snorts at Levi, standing from her chair.  "You need to get dressed and take this poor, innocent boy home before you, one, ruin him further, or two, miss your flight."

Levi stands, but shoots a look back at me as he says, "Trust me, he's not innocent.  Not anymore."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [titaneren-jaeger](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/)


	10. Soccer Player Goes Out in Style!

**Eren**

As we're climbing into Levi's slick car, my phone starts to ring.  I pull it out of my pocket to see that Mikasa is calling me.

"Damn.  I was almost home, too," I exhale before answering the call and pressing my phone to my ear.  "Yellow."

 _"Eren?  Why haven't you been answering your phone?  Why didn't you come home last night?  Where are you?"_ she questions relentlessly.

"I'm on my way home now, Mikasa," I tell her, running a hand through my hair.

Levi pulls out of the below-ground parking garage and races down the street as Mikasa continues to chew me out.  I half listen to her, and half pay attention to where exactly it is that Levi lives.  Now that it's daytime, I can actually see the street signs and the surroundings.  It's not that I want to stalk him or anything....  It's just that, what if he invites me over and I have to ride my bike here?  That's a valid reason to make note of where your celebrity one-night-stand lives, right?

 _"Where did you go?"_ Mikasa demands again.  _"All your note said was that you were going out and that you'd be home late, not that you weren't coming home at all."_

"I wasn't planning on staying out all night.  Jean and I went to a bar to unwind, and I was too drunk to walk home, so I crashed on Jean's couch last night," I say, giving her my half-assed excuse.

 _"Why didn't you call us?  Armin or I could've picked you up,"_ she argues.

"It was like, one in the morning, and Armin is always so tired from pulling long shifts at the hospital.  I didn't want to wake you guys up," I tell her.  I hate lying to her, but what choice do I have?  I signed a contract saying I won't tell anyone that I slept with Levi.  And even if I hadn't, I don't know if I'd tell Mikasa anyway.  "Besides, it's no big deal.  Jean and I didn't rip each other's throats out, so it's all good."

 _"Alright... as long as you're okay,"_ she says.  _"Next time just let me know where you are.  At least send me a text."_

"Alright, will do.  I'll be home soon."

After our quick goodbyes, we hang up and I shove my phone back in my pocket.  By that time, we're already almost back to my apartment, so there goes any conversation I could've had with Levi to hopefully alleviate, but most likely make worse, the awkwardness of this morning.

He pulls into the parking lot of my complex and I climb out of the car.  I hesitate though, and Levi rolls the window down.  "What is it?"

I debate whether or not I should say what's on my mind.  I know he promised me, but I have to make sure he's planning on keeping that promise.

"So I'll see you at practice tomorrow?" I ask, leaning down to look at him through the open window.

A smirk pulls at his lips.  "And in my bed after."

With that, he rolls the window back up and pulls out of the parking lot, leaving me standing there with wide eyes.  I watch his tail lights disappear from sight, and only then am I able to turn around and head up to my apartment.  Mikasa and Armin are both awake and sitting at the bar eating breakfast.  I hurriedly make my way towards my bedroom to change my clothes and find something that will cover the hickies on my neck.  Dressed in loose black jeans and a deep green turtle neck, I head back into the front room to join Mikasa and Armin.

"Did you at least have fun last night while you were scaring me half to death?" Mikasa questions.

"Fun?  With Jean?" I snort.  "It's not like there was a Scouts match last night, so it was just eh.  The only time we actually have any fun together is when we're watching a match.  Speaking of which, there's a match tonight and I invited him to come over and watch it.  I'll probably invite everyone else too."

Mikasa nods.  "I have the shift after yours at the shop, so I won't be able to watch the match with you guys."

"Aw Mikasaaa," I whine.  "It's okay, we'll try our best to have fun without you."

She rolls her eyes at me as she stands to clear her dishes.  Checking the time, I see it's still only seven in the morning and cringe.  Jeez, how early did I wake up this morning?  Ugh it's too early to be alive right now....  I decide that since I'm already up and awake, I might as well work on my art assignment due Monday before I have to get ready for my lunchtime shift at work.  But the second I sit down on my stool in front of my easel, my mind begins to wander.  My hand moves across the canvas, my pencil sketching out a rough design as my mind plays back the events of last night.  It's still a little hard to believe that I slept with the star striker of the Scouts last night.  I can feel the grin on my face as I recall the way his hands felt on me, the way his teeth and lips felt on my neck, the feeling of his fingers and cock in me.  A shudder runs up my spine at the influx of memories and feelings.  Oh, and his words before he left.  He wants me back in his bed tomorrow night.  I guess I wasn't the only one who enjoyed themselves last night.

"Another drawing of Ackerman?" Armin's voice questions from my shoulder, pulling me from my thoughts.

I actually look at my drawing then, and realize that I am in fact drawing Levi again.  But at least, unlike the images of him in my head, he's wearing clothes.

"Uh, yeah, I guess it is," I reply.

"It looks good," he says, continuing on to our room to get ready to leave for his shift at the hospital.

"Wait," I call after him before he disappears.  "When you get back from the hospital can I borrow your car to go get shit for the party tonight?"

"Sure," he replies.  "I'll go with you."

He disappears into the bedroom, and I get back to my drawing of Levi.  I stare at it for a long minute before deciding that I need to start turning in shit where Levi isn't the subject.  So I pull up a new canvas and get to work.

...

With the television blasting the pregame, bowls full of chips and other snacks, a cooler of beer on ice, dressed in my autographed Ackerman jersey, and someone knocking on the front door, I start to get really excited for this match.  I open the door to let in Connie and Sasha, and Connie immediately pulls a beer out of the cooler.  People slowly start to trickle in, and with beers being passed around, the party is already in full swing by the time the match starts.  The only people that can't make it are Ymir and Christa because of work, and Bertolt apparently has too much homework to finish before school on Monday.  And then of course Mikasa.  Because apparently work and school are more important than the Scouts match for all these people.

The match starts and I plop myself down front and center with Jean and Connie to watch the match.  The volume of the room goes up as soon as the starting whistle is blown.  I nurse my beer as I shout at the television screen.  I decide that, since I have the morning shift tomorrow, it'd probably not be wise to get absolutely plastered tonight like I did last time.

Levi wasn't lying when he said that Stohess was a strong team.  They get in two goals before halftime, leaving the score two to nothing.  Connie, Jean, and I went from shouting cheers to curses very quickly after the start of the match.  The Scouts are playing well, but Stohess is playing better.  Levi especially seems totally on his game, and of course I'm going to take all of the credit for that.  Not out loud, but in my mind, and definitely the next time I see him, I'm taking full credit.

Everyone gathers back around the television as half time comes to an end and the match resumes.  The shouting is louder than ever.  Even Marco and Armin, who are normally very quiet and off doing their own things during these matches, are helping us cheer the Scouts towards an upset.

When a great play results in Levi getting the ball with almost no opposition anywhere near him, I'm on my feet, along with Connie and Jean, cheering loudly.  The camera follows Levi as he races towards the goal.  Seemingly out of nowhere, a defender is right on top of him, and Levi makes a sliding kick to pass the ball to Jinn.  The defender goes sprawling on his stomach, then rolls over to clutch at his ankle.  Our cheers turn to curses.

"What the fuck?!  Ackerman didn't even touch him!" Jean shouts at the television.

"What a fucking faker," Connie grumbles.

Levi gets to his feet and completely ignores the defender still rolling around on the ground, heading down the field to assist Eld and Farlan.  But the referee blows his whistle to halt the play.  He's running towards the faker Stohess player, pulling out a yellow card and holding it above his head.

"Ha!  That's right, card that faker for faking," I laugh, taking a swig of my beer.  But then the ref points to Levi with the card.  I almost spit out my beer in shock.  "What?!"

Levi seems just as surprised by this as I am, but then is just angry as he jogs over to the ref.  Jean, Connie, and I are all shouting curses at the ref for calling a bogus trip call on Levi, and Levi seems to be doing the same.  I can't read his lips very well, but he's definitely angry, and- oh, he definitely just said 'fuck'.  I can lip read that one.  Oh, and there it is again.  I can't help but laugh, because this doesn't really surprise me, but he better watch out or he could get red carded for arguing.  The camera pans over to the sidelines where Coach Smith is heatedly arguing with another ref.  Everyone seems to know that call was bullshit except for the refs.

Their arguing doesn't seem to do much good, neither Levi's nor Erwin's.  The yellow card stands and the refs call for the match to continue.  The Scouts manage to tie the score with five minutes left in the match.  Connie, Jean, and I are now permanently on our feet, shouting at the Scouts to just freaking win this damn match already, as if it would help.

The ball rolls out of bounds and everyone on the field stills for a few moments while Ian Dietrich hurries to get the ball.  My eyes are on Levi, tiny in the corner of the screen- because of course I'm watching Levi- when I see a Stohess player walk by him.  It's the same defender that managed to get Levi carded at the beginning of the half.  The defender turns his head slightly, as if saying something in passing to Levi.  And holy fuck did he say something because Levi suddenly spins around and grabs the front of the defender's jersey, pulling the defender back face to face in front of him.  It's actually a comical sight, seeing five foot three Levi trying to manhandle the defender that's a head taller than him.  I'd be laughing if I didn't see the ref rushing over to them with a red card held in the air.

"What the fuck Ackerman?!" Jean shouts.  "What are you doing, you piece of shit?  You already had a yellow card!"

"That defender said something to Levi," I respond, pointing at the television screen.  I'm just as furious as Jean is, but not at Levi.  "He provoked him, I saw it.  It's the same asswipe that got him carded earlier."

Levi doesn't even argue with the ref this time as the man pulls Levi off the defender and gestures that he's ejected from the match.  Levi starts to walk off the field, but turns after a few feet, taking a few steps backward as he flips off the defender with both hands before jogging off the field.

It's dead silent in the room, then everyone erupts into laughter.  Even Armin and Marco find that hilarious.  And Annie, who never even smiles, has a small grin on her face.  I think Reiner is having trouble breathing as he rolls around on the floor, clutching at his stomach.  I wipe tears from my eyes.

"Way to go out in style, Ackerman," Jean laughs.

"That man has too much sass for his own good," Connie says, a huge grin plastered to his face.

"I think that was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Sasha giggles.

They all took the words right out of my mouth.  Damn that man always manages to keep things interesting.  I watch as Erwin pats Levi on the back with a smile before Levi continues to the locker room.  Erwin isn't even mad at him.  Everyone knows that he should still be in the match.  That first yellow card was complete bullshit.  But unfortunately there's nothing anyone can do, and the match continues with the Scouts being a man short.  Stohess manages to get in another goal just before the end of the match, leaving the final score three to two Stohess.  But right now, I don't even really care about that loss.

...

My morning shift from five to ten drags.  God I hate morning shifts at a fucking coffee shop.  It's Sunday people!  It's Sunday at five fucking o'clock in the morning!  Why are you even awake?  But when I finally clock out and head home, I dive straight into my art project that's due tomorrow.  I have to finish it before I go to the Scouts practice, because I might not be coming back here until tomorrow morning before class.

The thought alone puts a smile on my face as I paint the colors of the bloodied battlefield on my canvas.  The sun is setting on the scene of bodies and tilting flag staves and swords sticking up from the ground.  Everything is painted using the reds and oranges and yellows and black casted by the setting sun.  It's a really gruesome, dark scene.

"Okay, why are you smiling while painting something like that?" Armin's voice says, snapping me from my thoughts of Levi.  "That's really creepy."

"What?  Oh, uh, I was just thinking.  Sorry, I'll try to creep you out a little less."

He laughs and heads into the bedroom to change out of his scrubs.  If he's back from the hospital, it must be after three already.  Jeez, time really flies when you're thinking of smoking hot strikers that you may possibly take a roll in the sheets with later that night.  I take a look over the painting, making note of the few things I still need to touch up.  I'm so close to being done, then I can head over to the stadium for the Scouts practice.

It's almost five before I finally get the painting finished.  I hurry into my room to change, then pack my backpack with a change of clothes.  Good thing Armin isn't in the room to question why I need to bring a change of clothes to Scouts practice.  I also toss my toothbrush into the backpack as an afterthought, then hurry towards the door, pulling on my shoes as I go, almost falling over more than once.

"I'm meeting up with someone after the practice.  I may or may not be home tonight," I call as I'm leaving the apartment, not giving Mikasa or Armin the opportunity to reply.  "I'll text you."

I close the door and take the stairs two at a time down to my bike.  I hesitate though, then start jogging down the street to the bus stop.  If I'm going home with Levi, I don't want to leave my bike at the stadium.  Either he can give me a ride back to my place tomorrow morning before school or I can take the bus.

The bus gets me to the stadium much faster than my bike would, but it's still half past five by the time I get there.  Practice is already well underway, exercises being run in all corners of the field.  I find Levi working with the other forwards on one end of the field, all working on their shots on goal.  Mike stands in the net, attempting to block their shots.  I take up a spot in that corner and start shooting pictures of all of the forwards, but especially of Levi.  I zoom in on his face a few times, getting some really good shots of his face twisted slightly with the effort.  I think it's adorable how his lips part a little right before he takes his shots.  And the way his brow scrunches ever so slightly.  Those little things are always edited out in magazines and other shoots.  But I like them.

When Pixis calls for his forwards to take a break, I back away from the field, lowering my camera to look through the pictures I took.  Levi hasn't noticed me yet, so I decide to step back and let him be until practice ends.  Taking a seat on one of the stadium seats, I scan through the dozens of pictures I've already taken, deleting the ones that didn't turn out or that I don't like.

"Oi," Levi's voice suddenly says from right in front of me.  I startle and almost drop my camera.  "You're late."

"Oh, I'm sorry that I'm a busy college student that actually has a life," I retort, a little more snarky than I meant.

His eyes widen slightly, but then he smirks.  "You have a lot of attitude, brat," he says, his voice low.  "I like that."

Well he sure turned that back around on me really quick.  I hate how he does that so easily.

"I'm glad you made it though, because you're coming home with me after practice," he tells me under his breath.  He doesn't give me any chance to reply, whether to agree or argue, before walking off towards the rest of the group.

I sit there wide eyed, and I'm sure my cheeks could easily be mistaken for tomatoes.  I wouldn't have argued with him, in fact I would have readily agreed, but does he really have to be so cocky about it?  Maybe I should reject his suggestion, just for being so cocky.  Yeah, I think I will.  Serves that shorty hotshot right.

But... what if he goes and finds someone else to take home?  What if he goes and hooks up with someone else?  Yesterday morning, when I was talking with Levi and Isabel, they had talked about 'all of his sexual partners'.  And Isabel had pulled that contract out of her bag like it was nothing, like she does it all the time.  She probably does.  I mean, it doesn't surprise me that Levi has so many sexual partners.  I'm sure he can get whoever he wants.  Not only is he famous, but he's got a body hotter than a rocket on takeoff.  Who wouldn't want to go home with him?  His number of past partners though isn't what bothers me.  It's that I could become one of them, a _past_ sexual partner.

What the hell am I saying?  Of course it's going to happen one day.  It's not like we're in a relationship or anything.  This is just a fling.  That's all it can be.  I'm sure he doesn't want to be tied down to me and only to me.  Eventually he'll get bored and move on.  I'm actually surprised he's still pursuing me sexually.  He told me he's never been with a virgin before me, and it was obvious he was holding himself back.  He told me that I had no idea what he wanted to do to me.  I'm not as experienced as he probably prefers his partners to be.  What if he gets bored with that and tosses me aside to go find men that can please him in ways I can't?

I push those thoughts away.  It's bound to happen eventually, so I should enjoy what we have now instead of dwelling on the inevitable.

...

I manage to enjoy the rest of practice.  I actually talk a lot with Farlan Church.  I learn a lot about him and Isabel.  He tells me that he and Isabel actually met through Levi.  Apparently Isabel and Levi went to college together, Isabel majoring in law and Levi on a soccer scholarship.  When they graduated, Levi immediately got recruited by the Scouts, and Isabel became his agent.  It was a couple years later that Farlan got traded to the Scouts from Karanese.  Levi and Farlan became close friends due to their reliance on each other on the field, and Levi eventually introduced Isabel to Farlan.

"So is Isabel your agent too?" I ask him as the team packs up their gear at the end of practice.

"No," he replies.  "We talked about it, but we agreed that it'd be weird for my spouse to represent me.  And she feels like she already has her hands too full with Levi in order to take on another large client."

I laugh.  "Yeah, that makes complete sense."

Levi finishes packing his bag and heads over to us.  He doesn't say anything, not with so many people around him, but I know he wants me to follow him, so I do.

"Okay, so what the hell happened last night in Stohess?" I decide to ask him as we leave the stadium.  "Don't get me wrong, that first call wasn't your fault at all, and that was absolutely great what you did when you left the field, but why?  What did that guy even say to you?"

"He was just being a fucking asshole," Levi replies.  "I didn't even fucking touch him when I got carded for the trip, and then he told me that I was basically the only skill on this team, so he was going to get me thrown out.  I decided that if I was going to get red carded, it might as well be on my own terms instead of by his fucking theatrics."

I laugh.  "Alright, I'll take that," I say.  "Oh and you are now referred to as the Sass Master by my friends because of how you left the field."

He looks over at me, an eyebrow raised in annoyance.  I raise my hands in the air with another laugh.

"It wasn't me! I swear, it was Connie."

"I'd like to meet this Connie brat," he mumbles under his breath.

"I'd like to see that," I say with a smirk.  "You wouldn't even have to touch him.  He'd probably pass out just by being in the same room as you."

He rolls his eyes as he unlocks the car and we climb in.

"Did you get in trouble for getting red carded?" I ask.  "Erwin didn't seem too upset.  If anything he looked pretty amused by how you left the field."

"No, Erwin didn't give a fuck.  I heard that the owner of the team, Zackly, he was pretty pissy over it though.  Apparently he gave Erwin an earful.  But like you said, it wasn't my fucking fault that that guy was being a douche.  And so what if I got thrown out of the last five minutes of the match?  Big deal.  We wouldn't have won anyway, and despite that loss, we'll probably still make it to the playoffs."

"Yeah, you guys have a really good record this season," I recall.

He nods and it falls silent.  I start to get nervous, although I'm not nearly as nervous as I was two nights ago.  It's not so uncertain what's going to happen now.  And the loss of my virginity is no longer a looming thought.  I'm actually excited, and I decide that I want him to go a little further with me tonight.  He said we can work up to the things he likes, so why not start now?

"What are you thinking so hard about?  Your face is all scrunched up," he so kindly points out as we weave through the streets.  They're surprisingly busy for being after ten at night on a Sunday.

"Oh, uh, nothing," I say.  "Uhm, I have classes tomorrow morning, so... maybe I shouldn't stay the night?"

He looks over at me with an amused, yet suggestive look.  "I'm going to be keeping you busy well into the morning, brat.  I'll drive you to school in the morning.  What time is your first class?"

I try not to think too hard about his first statement.  "Eight, but I need to stop by my apartment first to grab my books and my art project."

He nods.  "That won't be a problem."

When we reach Levi's apartment, we step into the elevator and Levi inserts his key and pressed the button for his floor.  The second the doors close, Levi grabs me and pins me to the wall.  I gasp in surprise as his lips latch onto my neck, suckling and biting, leaving fresh bruises over the top of the still fading ones.  That's right, I had almost forgotten about those stupid bruises.  Hopefully they won't bother Levi tonight, although they don't seem to be bothering him now.

"You don't know how much of a fucking tease you are," he growls into the skin of my neck, his hands snaking up underneath my shirt.  "Without even trying, you drive me crazy."

"S-sorry?" I stutter, not knowing if I should apologize or not.  Judging by the way he snorts in response, I guess apologies aren't necessary.

I tilt my head back to allow him better access to my neck, and that's when a thought occurs to me.  I look up at the ceiling, looking for the security cameras.  I don't see any, but sometimes they're very well hidden.  "A-Aren't you worried about the cameras?"

"There are none," he assures me, his fingers finding my nipples beneath my shirt.  He rolls them between his thumbs and forefingers, drawing a moan from my lips.  All thoughts leave my head.  The only thing I can focus on are his fingers teasing me.  "Due to the status of most of their clients, the building opted not to install security cameras."

"Oh," I breathe, although I don't really know what he's talking about anymore.

When he pulls back from my neck, I take his face in my hands and press my lips to his.  He tenses, but it slowly fades and he deepens the kiss, forcing his tongue into my mouth.  Again with the hesitating....  I make a mental note to ask him later why he seems so reserved when it comes to kissing.

The elevator dings, letting us know that we've reached Levi's floor, and we stumble out of the opening doors, our lips still fused together and our hands pulling at each other's clothes.  We almost trip over each other in our haste to get to the bedroom.  Or at least to the nearest fuckable surface.  God, I can't get enough of this man.  I want everything off.  I want him naked with me in his bed.  I want his cock deep inside me, fucking me into-

"Levi, there you are," a familiar voice says, making my eyes fly open.  "I have the-  Oh Jesus Christ, Levi."

I quickly detach from Levi, pulling completely away from him.  My eyes are wide and I'm sure my cheeks are as red as a stop sign.  I don't think I can say anymore that I don't blush.  Whenever I'm around Levi, he seems to disprove it.  Frequently.

Levi looks annoyed as he turns to glare at Isabel.  "Whatever you have for me, it can wait," Levi nearly growls, pulling me towards the bedroom.

I hear her sigh as her heals click towards the elevator.  "Fine.  I'll be back tomorrow morning."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The floodgates have opened now that they've done the do, so expect lots and lots of frick frack :3 I swear the plot will continue, there will just be lots of porn thrown in the mix. But I don't think any of you will have a problem with that, right? ¬‿¬
> 
>  
> 
> [titaneren-jaeger](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/)


	11. Idol Has Commitment Issues!

**Eren**

Levi pulls me into his bedroom and closes the door firmly behind us.  His lips find mine again and I stumble backward towards his bed, following his lead.  When the backs of my legs hit the bed, he pushes me back onto it.  I watch in pure lust as he pulls off his shirt before crawling on top of me.

Our clothes disappear and Levi's hands are all over me.  I start to get nervous as I think of the decision I had made in the car, to start working up to the things he likes.  When his lips and tongue start to trail down my chest, I decide to speak up.

"Uhm..." I start to say, but my voice actually cracks and is much softer than I meant it to be.  Damn this man does crazy things to me.

He stops and looks up at me.  "Yes?"

"You can... you know...."  Fuck, I don't even know what I'm saying.  He raises an eyebrow at me.  "I mean, uh, if you want to start, you know... working up to... _things_...."

A slow smile start to pull at his lips and he moves so his face is hovering right above mine.  "You want me to do _things_ to you?" he purrs and it sends my heart into a frenzy.  A shiver wracks up my spine.

"Yes," I say, but it comes out a mere breath.

His smile grows devious.  His lips find mine again, and I get lost in the passionate kiss.  I almost miss the fact that his hand is riffling through the drawer of the nightstand beside the bed.  But then I feel something soft on my wrist, followed by a sharp _click_.  I break the kiss to look over at my wrist.  He handcuffed me with a pair of handcuffs covered by a fuzzy black cloth, most likely to keep the metal of the cuffs from digging into my skin.  My eyes are wide as he pulls my hands above my head and loops the cuffs through a bar of the headboard before cuffing my second wrist.

"Is this okay?" he asks me, his lips skimming down my arm towards my shoulder.

I test the hold the handcuffs have on me, pulling on them.  They hold my wrists securely in place, but it doesn't hurt.  It's actually surprisingly enjoyable.  I nod, unable to find my voice.

"Good.  And there's one other thing I want to try," he says.  I watch him this time as he reaches for the nightstand.  His hand returns holding a long, black strip of cloth.  He moves it to my face, draping it over my eyes.  He asks me to lift my head so he can tie it securely.  I can't see a thing.  The black cloth doesn't let a speck of light in.  I actually find the lack of sight, combined with the immobility of my arms, strangely erotic, and I feel my already painfully hard cock twitch.

"Do you remember my safe word?" he asks me.

"Red," I say, repeating the word.

I can feel him tense, his hands freezing where they had been skimming down my sides.  A reaction to the word while we're in such a position, maybe?  That makes me feel even more comfortable, that the word obviously has an effect on him.  I don't foresee myself ever having to use it, but it's still good to know that it works so well.

"A 'yes' would've sufficed," he says after a few moments, his hands returning to playing with my body.

"S-Sorry."

The sensation of feeling his hands without being able to see where he's going or what he's about to do drives me crazy.  It makes every touch feel so much more heightened, so much more intense.  I love it.  When his tongue suddenly swirls around the head of my cock, I gasp, pulling at the handcuffs.  He chuckles before taking my entire length in his mouth.  I moan loudly, the handcuffs pulling at my wrists and keeping me from fisting my hands in his hair.  He has complete control of me.  There is absolutely nothing I can do.  I am at his mercy.  And the realization feels so good.

His teasing of my cock ends all too soon, and I hear a the pop of a cap.  I hold my breath, because I know what is coming.  And... there it is.  His cold fingers coated in the lube circle my entrance before one pushes in.  I try to rut into his finger, needing more, but the handcuffs make that difficult.  My breathing is heavy, a moan leaving my lips as he adds a second finger.  Oh god, I need more.  I need him.

"Do you like that, Eren?" he breathes, his breath hot on my neck.  It makes me shiver, and the throaty sound of his voice as he says my name makes me whimper.

"Yes," I answer.

He hums into my neck, licking his way down to my collarbones.  I wish I could see him, but at the same time I love what the blindfold does to my senses.  Everything is amplified with the loss of my sight.  When he adds a third finger, and his free hand comes up to slowly stroke at my dripping cock, I feel like I'm about to explode.

His fingers leave me and I can't stop the embarrassing whine.  He chuckles, a deep sound that makes my whole body tingle.  I hear the sound of a condom wrapper being ripped open and my whole body tenses in anticipation.

"What do you want, Eren?" he asks me, his hands slowly stroking up my inner thighs.

My toes curl and the only sound I can get out of my mouth is a needy moan.  Come on, Jaeger, say something.  Fuck, I can't.

"What was that, brat?  What do you want me to do?" he asks, his voice all by itself teasing enough to drive me crazy.  "What dirty things do you want me to do to you?"

His last question is said in the most sultry, erotic voice I've ever heard, and I swear to all hell that that voice alone is enough to make me come.

"I want you to fuck me," I manage to force out, my voice shaky, which embarrasses me.  "I need your cock, Levi."

"Hmm, you want my cock?" he teases.  "Where do you want my cock?  Here?"

I feel him shift, then his cock is pressed against mine, his hand stroking both of them.  I groan, throwing my head back and pulling against the handcuffs.  But then his hand stops and he shifts again.

"Or perhaps here?" he breathes, this time right into my ear, making me jump.  The head of his cock presses against my entrance.

"Yes," I practically hiss with need.

He pulls away from me and his hands grab my hips, flipping me over.  The chain of the handcuffs twist, pulling my hands closer together.  I prop myself up on my elbows and knees, burying my face in my arm.  The blindfold shifts, and I realize then that I could use my arm to push it off.  But I don't.  I like not being able to see.  I like not knowing.  And Levi is in control.  He'll take the blindfold off if and when he decides to.

He starts to push into me as he kisses and licks up my spine towards my shoulders.  Shameful noises leave my lips as Levi slowly fills me, muffled only slightly by my arm.  My whole body feels like it's on fire.  I can imagine Levi bowed over me, touching and caressing with hands and lips as his thick, pierced cock enters me.  I can imagine the look of pure lust in his eyes.  I want to see it, but at the same time just imagining it does wonders.

When he's seated fully inside me, his hips flush against my ass, he hesitates, allowing me to adjust to his size.  He suckles at the skin between my shoulder blades, his hands caressing my sides and running down my stomach.

"You're so tight, Eren," he breathes.  "You feel so good around my cock.  Is this what you wanted, brat?"

"Yes, Levi," I groan into my arm, rolling my hips.

He hisses in pleasure, biting my shoulder.  "Say that again.  Say my name.  Say it," he growls, grinding his hips into my ass.

"L-Levi," I moan loudly and wantonly.  "Levi, please fuck me."

"Fuck, Eren," he says, his voice husky as he pulls out and slams back into me.

I cry out, his name on my lips as he pounds into me.  The chains and metal of the handcuffs clank and pull, mixing with the sound of Levi's heavy breathing and my moans to fill the room and my ears.  Levi's hands hold my hips securely as his cock pistons in and out of me.  The scent of sex and sweat burns my nose.  And I can taste the sweat on my arm as my mouth hangs open in a seemingly endless moan.  All of my senses are heightened as Levi fucks me into the mattress, all but my sight.  All I see is blackness, starting off as the blackness of the blindfold, but turning into the blackness of the underside of my eyelids as I let my eyes close.  Now I know why people close their eyes when they kiss.  Now I know why my eyes instinctively want to drift closed as I ride the intense pleasure coursing through my body during sex.  Sight is unimportant, and if anything, it hinders all of the other senses.  There is so much to feel, to hear, to taste, and to smell.  Seeing it all happen, watching everything unfold, it detracts from the entire experience.

Levi's rhythmic thrusts start to turn more sporadic, and I know that he's getting close.  His fingers claw at my hips and ass, leaving more bruises layered over the old ones.  But I barely notice.  I'm close to my own orgasm as well.  I can feel the heat spreading through my groin and cock.  He hasn't even touched it yet, not since he teased me with his mouth, but nevertheless I'm teetering on the edge.

But suddenly he stops, pulling his cock out of me.  Before I can question, his hands are turning me back over onto my back.  I didn't realize how shaky and numb my legs were becoming until now my weight is off of them and they start to burn.  Levi's hands softly caress down my thighs to hook under my knees, pulling them up to drape over his shoulders.  With a throaty groan, he pushes back into me.

His fast, hard rhythm continues and I'm quickly lost in that immense wave of pleasure centered around his cock riding my ass.  A hand is suddenly on my face, caressing my check and running a thumb over my parted lips before it takes hold of the blindfold.  Levi pulls it down so it falls from my eyes, hanging loose around my neck.  My eyes immediately adjust to the darkness of his room, the only light being that of the moon flooding in through the window.

"I love using a blindfold," he starts to explain, his movements between my legs jerky and sporadic.  His face is twisted in sheer pleasure and lust.  He's close.  "But with you... I can't enjoy it as much.  Your eyes... are just too stunning not to watch.  Especially when you come."

My heart does this stupid thing where it flutters in my chest and makes me think I'm having a heart attack.  I stare into his grey eyes, awed by the fascination I see there, over top of the lust.  But then his cock hits my prostate and I gasp, throwing my head back as my orgasm washes over me.  Fire burns through my lower body, spurting from my cock to coat my stomach.  Levi growls, and my eyes find his.

"Fuck, just like that," he growls.  "That's what I was talking about."

With a few more hard thrusts, he comes as well, his breath hitching as he bows over me, biting hard into my shoulder.  My legs fall from his shoulders and I fight to catch my breath.  Levi pulls his cock from me as he sits up, his teeth leaving the skin of my shoulder.

But then he frowns slightly, his thumb coming up to brush at my shoulder.  "Shit, sorry," he says.

When his thumb pulls back, I see a small smear of red and I quickly look down at my shoulder.  A small droplet of blood oozes from a point of the bite mark.  Fuck.  Don't panic, Jaeger.  It's just a tiny amount of blood.

"Uh, I'm going to go clean up," I tell him quickly, trying to roll off the bed.

The handcuffs pull me up short and I gasp, my lower body nearly tumbling off the bed.  Levi manages to catch me, keeping that from happening, and reaches up to unlock the handcuffs.  As soon as my wrists are free, I leap off the bed.  My lower back spasms in pain and my jelly legs send me to my knees.  Fuck Levi literally wrecked me.  Hey, I'm not going to complain though.  That was fucking amazing.

"Are you alright?" he questions from the bed.

"Fine!" I assure him quickly, getting back to my feet and making my way to the bathroom.

I close the door firmly behind me and lock it.  Flipping on the light, I lean my chest towards the mirror to get a better look at the bite mark on my shoulder.  The blood is making a slow trail over my collarbone and down towards my chest, but it's not bleeding profusely.  It should be fine.  Not all bleeding incidents are emergency situations for me.  I've had incidents this small before and have managed to take care of it on my own.  I'll only have to worry if the bleeding doesn't stop by itself in the next few minutes.

I grab a wad of toilet paper and hold it firmly against my shoulder as I clean myself up.  With the lube cleaned from the inside of my thighs, I close the toilet seat and sit down.  Despite the fact that I'm locked in the bathroom, holding toilet paper to my bleeding shoulder and hoping I won't have to make a call to Hanji, I'm actually really happy.  Giddy even.  My whole body still feels so good, even though a slight pain twinges in my lower back.  It's a good pain though.  I love that pain.  Running my hand through my tousled sex hair, I can't help but grin like an idiot.

Pulling the toilet paper away from my shoulder, I see that it's collected more blood than I would've thought, but my shoulder has stopped bleeding.  Breathing a sigh of relief, I flush the bloody toilet paper so that Levi won't see it.  If there is a next time, I'll have to make a 'no blood' rule with Levi.  I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose, and I doubt that drawing blood is a thing for him- at least I hope it's not- so hopefully he'll be okay with that.  If there is a next time, that is.

Heading back out into the bedroom, I see that the bed is made and Levi is laying on top of the covers, still naked, scrolling through something on his phone.  He puts his phone on the nightstand and looks over at me as I climb onto the bed.

"You know, I wasn't done with you yet," he tells me.

I freeze in pulling back the covers, slowly looking up at him.

"Y-You weren't?" I question.

He smirks at me and, damn, my dick is already beginning to harden again.  "No, I wasn't."

...

"Oi, wake up."

I groan, the voice pulling me from my sleep.  I roll over burying my face in the pillows.  "Five more minutes."

The sheets suddenly disappear and cold air envelops my naked body.  I gasp, shooting upright to glare at Levi.  He's already walking towards the door, fully dressed and even holding a cup of tea.

"Get ready to go or you're going to be late for class," he tells me, leaving the bedroom and shutting the door behind him.

I exhale, rubbing at my tired eyes.  I grope for my cell phone on the nightstand, but my fingers don't find it.  Oh shoot, that's right.  It's probably still in my pants pocket, where ever those ended up....  I crawl out of bed, but see that there is nothing on the floor of the bedroom.  The clothes I had been wearing yesterday are all folded and stacked neatly on top of the dresser.  My phone and wallet sit on top of the pile, and my backpack is on the floor next to the dresser.  I first riffle through my backpack, pulling on my fresh set of clothes, then grab my phone.  Turning it on, I groan at the time.  It's barely after six in the morning.

I hear voices coming from the front room, and quickly shove my dirty clothes into my backpack before slinging it over one shoulder and leaving the bedroom.  The mild sting over my collarbone where my backpack strap lies surprises me, but then I remember that Levi bit me.  God damn it now I'm grinning like an idiot.

"Good morning sleepy head!" Isabel's cheery voice says.  God, how can she be so happy this early in the morning?

She's sitting on one of the bar stools, a few papers stacked haphazardly on the bar in front of her.  She has a pen held between two fingers and returns to going over whatever paperwork is in front of her.  Levi is at the stove, making breakfast.  It looks like omelets.  Yum.  I definitely worked up an appetite last night.

"I don't have to sign another confidential thingy do I?" I ask, sitting at the bar next to Isabel.

I see Levi roll his eyes and Isabel shakes her head.  "Nope!  The one was all encompassing.  It includes all past and future... engagements," she says with a wink in my direction that makes me duck my head.  "Although, that's never been an issue before.  Usually Levi's partners are a one-and-done kind of deal.  You must be something special in the sack, dear."

"That's enough, Isabel.  Leave the brat alone," Levi says, coming to my rescue.

I look up at the paperwork she's filling out, and one paper sticking slightly out of her stack catches my attention.  I see a glossy dark corner with white 'Tro' lettering.  Out of sheer curiosity, I reach across her to pull it from her stack.  Fuck, I have a boner now.  It's a sample cover page of Trost Sports Magazine, and splayed across it is Levi.  It's from the hips up, his body turned slightly to the side.  He's shirtless, and it looks like the top of a black pair of soccer shorts before the picture gets cut off.  He's running a hand through his black hair, and has a come-hither look on his face.  The look in his eyes is suggestive and his lips are slightly parted.  I don't know why they have a professional soccer player posing shirtless on the front cover of an October issue, but hot damn.

"You like it?" Levi's voice says, drawing my attention from the cover.

I look up to see a playful look on his face and an amused smile on Isabel's.  I only then realize I had been staring wide eyed and open mouthed at the picture.  I snap my mouth shut and duck my head, slipping the cover back onto Isabel's stack.

"It will be the cover of next week's issue," Isabel explains as Levi places omelets in front of the both of us.  "They sent us a sample for Levi to approve."

"I didn't realize it was going to be the cover.  I thought they were just for the article," Levi muses out loud.

"It was, but I guess they decided to feature your article for this issue, and they put your shoot on the cover."

"Go ahead and approve it," Levi says, taking a seat next to me with his own omelet.

"You haven't even really looked at it," Isabel complains, digging into her own food.

"It doesn't matter what I say, they're going to publish it anyway," Levi replies, then looks over at me.  He frowns, reaching over and taking hold of my wrist.  His touch is gentle as he runs a thumb along the bruises caused by the handcuffs.  I blush and pull my wrist from his grasp, dropping it to hide it under the counter top.  He doesn't say anything, instead turning back to his breakfast.  "Hurry up and eat so I can take you to school."

"School?" Isabel questions.  Then her eyes go wide and I swear she pales a little bit.  "Eren, how old are you, dear?"

"I'm twenty.  I'm in my third year at Trost University," I explain to her, doing as Levi says and eating my breakfast.  "I promise Levi isn't breaking any laws by being with me."

"Would you leave the poor kid alone?  I'm not forcing him and he's not underage," Levi grumbles, not looking up from his food.

Isabel doesn't argue, letting the subject drop.  She discusses a few business things with Levi, all of which I kind of tune out.  But when I'm helping Levi clean the dishes, the next order of business she brings up catches my attention.

"I got an email yesterday from Team USA.  You've been selected to play center striker in an exhibition match against Canada in two weeks.  It's being held in Quebec," she tells him.  "Accept or decline?"

"Decline," he replies almost immediately.

I look at him wide eyed.  "Why?!  These exhibition matches are how Team USA picks it's World Cup team, isn't it?  What if they really like you and they pick you for their World Cup team?  That would be so cool!  You _have_ to accept!"

Levi turns his questioning look from me to Isabel.  "You hear that, Isabel?  The brat says I _have_ to accept."

"Oh come on, Levi, please?" I practically plead.

"It would be some good P.R. for you," Isabel admits, a smile creeping up onto her lips.

"Yeah, what she said!"

He looks back at me with an exasperated sigh.  "You really want me to play that badly?"

"Yes!"

"Fine," he agrees, giving a nod to Isabel who promptly makes a note.  "But you better watch that match, kid, or I'm going to kick your ass."

"I'll watch it!  Even if I don't get the station it airs on, I'll find someone that does, or a bar that does.  I promise!" I say, bouncing up and down in my seat.  Why isn't he exited about this?!  It's not like the match will matter for the Scouts playoff position or anything.  So there's no pressure to play well.  Unless he has any desire to play on the World Cup team, in which case he'd have to impress the committee.  But still!  He should be so much more excited about this.

He rolls his eyes at me as he shuts off the water in the sink and dries his hands.  "Let's go.  You need to get to class."

I grab my backpack and follow him from the apartment.  I have a stupid grin on my face, but I can't help it.  Being around Levi always makes me giddy, and I'm finding that the morning after I stay the night with him is no different.  If anything, I'm even worse after a night with him.  All of the exciting- well, exciting for me at least- news this morning, about Levi being picked for the cover of Trost Sports and for being chosen to play on Team USA in the exhibition match, is also contributing to my good mood.

We're quiet as we drive through town towards my apartment, leaving me with my giddy thoughts.  But then Levi breaks the silence.

"If we keep doing this, and if you keep letting me do some of the things I like to do, you're going to have to promise me that you'll tell me if I'm hurting you," he says, glancing over at me briefly before looking back at the road.  "Some of the things I like to do may seem fucked up, but it's not my goal to hurt you.  Well, any more than you find pleasurable.  I don't want you to be afraid to use the safe word with me.  I won't be mad."

My eyes are wide as he says this.  I've never really seen him so concerned.  And I can tell it's not a normal thing for him either.  He fidgets nervously and keeps glancing over at me.  A smile pulls at my lips.

"I'll promise to tell you if something gets to be too much if you promise me that you won't take every bruise you see on me as a sign that you hurt me," I bargain.  "For the hundredth time, I bruise really easily.  Most of the time, they don't even hurt."  I look down at the ring of bruises around both my wrists and laugh.  "These are going to be more embarrassing than anything.  I'll have to find a way to cover them up."

He chuckles lightly, and I'm glad to see that he's not so worried anymore.  But then I remember something that came to my mind last night while I was cleaning myself up in the bathroom.

"So, you want to keep doing this?" I ask him.  "Even though I turn into a purple people eater when we do?"

He's silent for a long moment, but then slowly nods.  "I enjoy being with you," he admits.  "I would like to keep doing this.  But, that being said, know that I can't commit to you, Eren.  I'm a closet gay, and it needs to stay like that.  We can never become public."

I nod.  "I understand that."

"I'm not going to ask you to remain loyal to me or anything like that either.  I'm going to fuck whoever I want, whenever I want and you can fuck whoever you want, whenever you want while also doing this with me.  Well, as long as they're clean.  If you give me any fucking STDs or shit, I'll kill you."

I laugh.  "Don't worry about that.  I have no intention of sleeping around.  You're almost too much for me to handle anyway," I tease.

He rolls his eyes at me.  "We've barely gotten started, Eren.  If this is already getting to be too much for you, then you're in for one hell of a wild ride."

Every single word shoots straight down into my dick and I quickly look out the window, trying to distract myself and keep myself from getting a boner.  I hear Levi chuckle, which doesn't help.  So instead, I ask the question I had been trying to lead up to.

"Can I make a request?" I ask him, looking back over at him.

"You can ask," he replies as he pulls into my apartment complex.

"Can I ask that you try to not draw blood anymore?  I... I don't like blood," I decide to say.

He looks a little guilty for a fleeting second before the look disappears and he nods his head.  "Of course.  I didn't mean to draw blood.  I apologize for that, and I won't let it happen again," he tells me.  "Like I said, you're supposed to be enjoying yourself.  I don't want to do anything that hurts you or makes you uncomfortable, so please be vocal about what you like and don't like.  And you don't have to give me excuses or reasons either.  Just tell me you don't like something, and that will be good enough for me."

I never imagined that someone who appears as cold and uncaring on the field as Levi does would be so sensitive and cautious.  It kind of surprises me, but it makes me even more confident about pursuing further physical intimacy with him.  I'm not going to lie, I'm a little wary about going further into the things he likes, only because I don't know what to expect.  But seeing him so concerned for my safety and making sure that I'll enjoy myself does a lot to ease my worry.


	12. Soccer Player Has a Witty Plan!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update because I'm going camping this weekend! :D Oh, and SURPRISE! Random Marco POV towards the beginning of this chapter. I'm pointing that out now, because it starts off with a Jeanmarco smut scene (I have literally zero self control) and I wanted to warn you in case Jeanmarco is a notp for any of you. You can skip that part, but the Marco POV does have some importance, so don't skip all of it :)
> 
> I'm on [Tumblr](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/)  
> And I track the tag "fic: fotp" :)

**Levi**

As soon as I drop Eren off at the university, I head straight back to my apartment.  I still have a little while before I need to head to practice.  My mind is a mess, going over everything that's happened this morning.  If I'm honest with myself, I'm a little worried about Eren.  That much bruising isn't normal for what we've done.  Sometimes bruising is expected, especially when using handcuffs and other toys of that nature, but I usually know how to use them properly so that bruising is avoided.  That doesn't seem to work with Eren though.  He's right when he says he bruises easily.  I'm not even that rough with him.  He shouldn't be bruising.

But just like he asked me to, I let it drop.  I'll just have to trust him to tell me if I'm hurting him.  There needs to be a lot of trust between partners when getting into the things I like to do.  I'll have to emphasize that the next time he comes over.

The next time he comes over....  That's such a weird thought for me.  With all of my past sexual partners, there's never been a next time.  After I kick them out of my apartment, I never see them again.  Having that conversation with Eren warning him that I can't, and won't, commit to him was definitely strange.  I've never had to talk about commitment before, or in this case lack thereof.

I try not to think too much on the nature of Eren and my... I hesitate to call it a relationship because that seems too committed of a word.  Instead I think about what that brat made me agree to this morning.  That fucking exhibition match against Canada.  God damn it....  I usually avoid those, because I'll be playing on a team full of people I've never played with before.  Sure, I've played _against_ them most likely, but that's not enough for me to know them well enough to play on the same team as them.  I have a very specialized style and way of play.  My fellow forwards on the Scouts know it and are used to it, and they don't get in my way.  I'm not looking forward to having to deal with people who don't know how to play with me.  Let's just say I'm not looking forward to having to adjust my style to accommodate new people.

So why did I say yes?  Why couldn't I resist those damn puppy eyes Eren threw at me?  I've never been one to let others sway me.  But when he started to plead with me, his shocking green eyes wide and begging, I literally couldn't force the word 'no' to cross my lips.  I didn't want to disappoint him.  I don't know why he was so excited about the prospect of me playing for Team USA, but he was, and I couldn't dampen that excitement.  Fuck, what is this shitty kid doing to me?

An idea crosses my mind and, as I pull into the parking garage for my apartment building, I hope that Isabel is still here.  I don't know if she still has things to discuss with me, or if she left right after Eren and I.

But when the elevator doors open into my apartment, I see her sitting right where we left her, still going over paperwork.

"Oi," I call to her.  "I have a favor to ask of you.  It has to do with the exhibition match."

...

"So I got a call from your agent saying that you accepted Team USA's request to play in Quebec in two weeks," Eyebrows tells me as I enter the locker room to get ready for practice.

"Yeah, so?  What of it?" I ask, opening my locker and pulling out a clean shirt and pair of shorts.

Erwin doesn't even flinch as I drop my jeans.  You quickly get over any prudishness when you're on a sports team.  Every day consists of me changing and showering in front of other men who also happen to be changing and showering.  You get used to it pretty quickly.  Even the coaches.

"I'm just surprised is all," he says with a shrug as I pull on my athletic shorts.  "You usually avoid those like the plague."

"Usually," I reply.  "But someone did a little bit of convincing this time."

Erwin looks around, seemingly double checking that we're alone in the locker room.  The two of us are usually the first ones here every morning, and this morning is no exception.  "That someone wouldn't happen to be that photographer, would it?  The one you brought to the party, and the one you went home with last night?"

My whole body tenses and I hesitate halfway through pulling off my shirt, but I quickly school myself back into check and shuck the shirt into my locker.  He doesn't know anything.  He can't prove anything.  Anything he says, I can deny.

"He's just an acquaintance and a fan," I defend, maybe a little too quickly, pulling my practice jersey from the hanger.

"I wasn't suggesting otherwise."

Fuck, I can hear the smugness in his tone.  I can't believe I fell for that.  Fuck.  I turn on him, my practice jersey clutched tightly in one hand.  I give him my best glare.

"What are you getting at, Eyebrows?" I demand of him.

He has such a disinterested, innocent look on his face that I want to punch him.  Erwin and I have always been really close- I know, hard to believe considering the way I talk to him, but I talk to all my friends that way so sue me- so I should've known that I wouldn't be able to keep secrets from him forever.  I'm actually surprised that it's lasted this long.

"I guess I just want to warn you to be careful," he says, and his tone has turned serious.  "I don't care what you do in your free time, or who you do it with, I just want you to be careful.  I don't have to warn you what will happen if the press gets hold of this information."

"No, you don't," I retort, turning back to my locker to finish pulling on my jersey and get ready.  I know he's just trying to help, and honestly I'm grateful for the help and for having someone that cares enough to help, but I've never liked when people try to butt into my private life.

He starts to leave.  I don't look back at him, but instead feel the need to call over my shoulder, "Thanks though."

"I'm just looking out for a friend.  Because you're more to me than just a player on my team, and I don't want to see you destroyed."

With that said, he leaves the locker room.  I sit down on the bench in front of the row if lockers and stare at my cleats sitting at my feet.  He's right in saying that if news of my sexual orientation got out, it would destroy my career.  It's fucking bullshit that something like that even matters, but it does.  I momentarily entertain the thought of cutting ties with Eren, but quickly dismiss it.  That won't change the fact that I prefer cock over pussy.  I'll still be gay, and I'll still be fucking men.  The only problem in pursuing Eren is that he could get dragged into the middle of this.  I won't let that happen though.  No one will ever know that he's more than just an acquaintance, more than just a fan.  No one will know that I've had my dick up his ass on more than one glorious occasion.  And if things start getting suspicious, I'll just cut my ties with him.  He's just a play thing, right?  It won't even be that hard.  I'll just tell him to get lost, just like every other partner I've ever had.  It won't even be that hard....  Right?

 

**Marco**

The office closed ten minutes ago, and everyone went home.  The building is completely empty, even of the janitorial staff.  That's probably the only reason I allowed Jean to bend me over my own desk like this.  It doesn't stop a blush from burning in my cheeks though as I grip the edge of the desk until my knuckles turn white.  I've never been one for even public kissing, let alone office sex.  But with Jean, it didn't even take much convincing on his part.

One of his hands takes hold of my dripping arousal and begins to pump me in time with his thrusts.  His hot breath warms the skin between my shoulder blades as his lips trail lazy kisses along my spine.  I moan into the wood of my desk, biting my lip to try and keep quiet, even though nobody is here to hear me.

We finish at the same time, Jean groaning my name into the back of my neck.  We quickly clean ourselves up, then collapse back into my desk chair, me on Jean's lap with his arms loosely circled around my waist.  His lips kiss and suckle at my sweaty shoulder and neck.

"I love you, Mar-"

The shrill of my phone startles both of us, and I jump with an embarrassing squeak.  Jean's arms constrict around me as he too is startled.

"Who the fuck..." he starts to say.

I just shrug, reaching across the desk to grab the phone.  I try to act casual- how does one sound like they just had unexpected office sex and how does one avoid sounding like that?- as I put the phone to my ear.

"Marco Bodt, Trost Daily," I greet cheerily with a big smile.  Was that too much?

 _"Hello, Mr. Bodt.  I apologize for the lateness of the hour.  This is Isabel Church.  I am Levi Ackerman's agent,"_ a sweet female voice says.

I instantly straighten, and Jean looks at me in confusion and curiosity.  Levi Ackerman's agent?  Does she want to set up an interview or something?  I've never had agents be the first to contact me.  Usually I'm the one that has to contact them first.

"Yes, Mrs. Church, how may I help you this evening?" I ask her, grabbing a pen and notepad from my desk, ready to take notes.

 _"Mr. Ackerman was recruited to play for Team USA in the friendly exhibition match against Canada two weeks from this last Saturday.  We were hoping you could arrange to have the match, and more specifically Mr. Ackerman's performance, covered by your newspaper,"_ she says.

"Of course!  We would be honored to do an article on the exhibition match.  The Scouts are doing very well this season, so I'm sure an article on Mr. Ackerman's involvement with Team USA will be popular among our readers," I assure her.  "I'll arrange to have a reporter and photographer sent to this match."

 _"That's actually what I wanted to discuss with you, Mr. Bodt,"_ she tells me.  _"See, Mr. Ackerman has a request he wishes to make...."_

 

**Eren**

Tuesday afternoon, I'm sitting in the quad near the art building, wondering how bad it would be if I skipped my Calculus class this afternoon, when my cell phone starts to buzz in my pocket.  I nearly squeak in surprise, dropping my pencil into the dirt.

Fishing my phone out of my pocket, I see that Marco is calling me.  Hmm, another job maybe?  I'm not sure if I have the time to take another job, but the last time he called me with a job assignment, it turned out to be the best call of my life.

"Yellow," I greet him, my voice cheery as I pick up my pencil.  What can I say?  I'm still in an amazing mood from this weekend.  And can you blame me?

 _"Hi Eren!"_ Marco's equally cheery voice says.  _"I have a job for you if you're interested."_

"I'm really busy right now, but tell me what the job is and I'll decide whether or not I can fit it in," I tell him, my free hand resuming my doodling in my sketchbook.

_"Well, we got wind that Ackerman will be playing in the upcoming exhibition match against Canada and I was wondering if you-"_

My hand tenses so hard that it snaps the lead of my pencil against the paper of my sketchbook.  "Yes!" I interrupt Marco, much louder than necessary, but I can't help it.  Is this seriously happening?  Marco is going to send me to Quebec to photograph Team USA's exhibition match?  Oh my fuck I'm so excited!

I hear Marco laugh on the other end of the line.  _"The match is not this coming Saturday, but the following Saturday at five o'clock Quebec time.  Come by the office the Thursday before the match and I'll give you your itinerary, airline tickets, and your hotel information.  We will try to fly you out Saturday morning and fly you home sometime on Sunday, so you shouldn't miss any school.  But we'll go over details closer to the match."_

"Oh my god thank you, Marco!" I shout, earning me some curious looks from other people in the quad.

We say our goodbyes and I hang up.  Oh my god I'm going to Quebec!  To watch Team USA play against Team Canada!  To watch Levi Ackerman play in an exhibition match!  Oh my-

I need to call Levi.  He'll never believe this.  And he was the one that said I had to watch the match or he'll kick my ass.  What's he going to say when I tell him I get to watch the match from the sidelines?!  Oh my god I can't wait to tell him.  I open my contacts and find 'Grumpy Pants'.  My finger hesitates over the 'call' button though.  It's only a little after one.  He's still in practice.  He won't answer.  With a heavy sigh, I lower my phone.  It'll just have to wait until tonight.

...

The phone rings, once... come on pick up.  Twice... c'mon Levi....  Three times... PICK. UP. THE PHONE.  A fourth-

 _"What?"_ Levi's tired voice snaps.

"Woah there Mr. Grumpy Pants," I laugh.  Not even his snappy, short tone can dampen my mood right now.

 _"Oh, it's you,"_ he sighs, but his tone isn't so irritated anymore.

"You'll never believe what happened today!  I-"

 _"Look, kid, I'm super busy right now,"_ Levi interrupts me.  _"Tell you what, if you're not busy Friday night, come home with me after the match and then you can tell me all about what happened today."_

A huge smirk threatens to split my face in two.  "Is that all I'll be doing?"

 _"Tch.  Of course not, cheeky brat,"_ he snorts.  _"I have to go."_

"Okay, bye," I reply, hanging up.

I quickly sharpen my pencil and resume my doodling.  I realize that I'm humming to myself as I sketch out flowers, birds, eyes, and of course Levi.  I don't know if there's a single thing that can put a damper on my mood today.  Or tomorrow.  Or for the rest of the week.

...

Okay, so I lied.  Wednesday afternoon, shortly after my shift ended at the coffee shop, a killer migraine erupted in my skull.  Yet another wonderful symptom of my hemophilia.  But the worst thing about this symptom is that the headaches and migraines aren't normal.  They're prolonged.  So despite the numerous painkillers, calling in sick to work, skipping Scouts practices, and even getting excused from classes, come Friday before the match, it still feels like my head is getting split by an ice pick.

I haven't had a migraine this bad in a long while.  I forgot how much they suck.  I haven't left my room since Wednesday afternoon.  Armin moved all his homework and books out to the kitchen table so that he could study, considering the blinds in our room are drawn tightly shut and if he even touched the light switch I would cut his hand off.  Mikasa keeps leaving food for me, along with a few painkillers, and I can't even begin to describe how grateful I am for her.  Armin comes in as well to check me out to the best of his abilities, but unfortunately there's not much he can do for a headache.  I don't know what I'd do without either of those two by my side.

Around noon on Friday, I call Hanji and tell her that I won't be able to make my appointment.  I could always call a cab to take me to the hospital, but I think if I stepped foot outside, my head would literally explode.  Literally.

 _"What's the matter, dear?"_ she asks me.  Her voice is too loud.  Well, not loud.  It's too high pitched.  My head sears in pain and I hold the phone away from my ear, cringing into the mountain of pillows surrounding me.

"I have a migraine," I murmur in response.

 _"I'm sorry, hun,"_ she says, and bless her she even speaks in a lower register.  _"How long have you been having this migraine?"_

"Since Wendesday.  Around four o'clock," I reply, trying to take deep breathes through the pain.

_"Oh honey....  Have you been taking any painkillers?"_

"Just what Armin has on hand.  I think it's just Tylenol."

_"Okay, keep taking that and don't worry about our appointment today.  Call me when you're feeling better and we'll reschedule.  Your tests from the last session were pretty good, so I don't see a problem.  Get some rest, dear."_

I hang up the phone and toss it into the pillows.  Burying myself further into my blanket and pillow fortress on my bed, I close my eyes and try to get some sleep.  It's difficult to sleep when it feels like someone's taking a jackhammer to my skull, but it's the only reprieve I get from this pain.  It's not like I'm not tired enough.  I've only slept a couple of hours since Wednesday afternoon.

Searching for my phone again, I open up a text conversation and type out a quick message.  The artificial light from my phone screen, even dimmed down to its lowest setting, is enough to make my eyes water.  so I keep the message short, then quickly shut off the screen.

 **To: Grumpy Pants**  
**Can't make it to the match tonight. Something came up. Sorry**  
**12:47PM**

I'm not expecting a reply considering he's still in practice.  So I close my eyes and try to get some sleep.  It must've worked because a soft knock pulls me from the peaceful dregs of sleep and back into my painful reality.  I glance at the dull glow of my alarm clock on my nightstand.  It's just after two.  Well, and hour and a half is better than nothing.

The door slowly creaks open, and I bury my face in the pillows at the light that streams into the room.

"Eren, Dr. Zoe is here," Mikasa's soft voice tells me.  "And I brought you some water."

I wave for her to enter, not lifting my face from the pillows, not until I hear the door click closed behind them.  I slowly sit up to take the cup from Mikasa and sip at the cold water.  Hanji takes a seat on the edge of the bed and takes my wrist in her hand, checking my pulse.  Then her hand moves to my forehead.

"I bought you some Vicodin," Hanji tells me, removing a small bottle from her pocket.  "It's only a few pills.  Take one every six hours until the migraine starts to fade, then go back to the Tylenol.  I'm also going to have you up the intake of your regular meds.  Take two pills a day until your headache is completely gone.  Hopefully that will get the blood circulating better."

I nod and she hands me a pill from my meds bottle, and another unfamiliar looking pill that must be the Vicodin.  I swallow them with the water and lay back down.  Hanji and Mikasa leave the room, and I bury myself back in the covers, trying desperately to fall back asleep.

...

When I wake Sunday morning, my migraine is almost completely gone.  It's been reduced to a dull throb in the back of my skull that only bothers me a little in the bright light of the sun when I open the blinds.  A smile creeps onto my face for the first time since Wednesday.  What a beautiful day.  And, Levi doesn't have practice today.  Maybe he's free?

I take a quick shower, then pull on my clothes before finding my phone and sending a text to Levi.

 **To: Grumpy Pants**  
**Sorry about Friday. Can I come over today?**  
**10:33AM**

I start on my Calculus homework while I wait for a reply.  It doesn't take long though for my phone to go off.  A quick glance at the screen reveals that it's a text from Levi.

 **From: Grumpy Pants**  
**Sure. I'll come pick you up.**  
**10:35AM**

A wide smile splits across my face.  Now I'm excited all over again.  Oh, and I get to finally tell him about the exhibition match next weekend!

 **To: Grumpy Pants**  
**It's okay, you don't have to. I'm pretty sure I can find your place on my own**  
**10:36AM**

 **From: Grumpy Pants**  
**Are you seriously going to ride your bike all the way over here? I don't think so. I don't want you all sweaty and nasty when you get here. I'll be there in 10.**  
**10:38AM**

I roll my eyes, but don't argue with him.  Instead, I try to focus on my Calculus, but no matter how hard I try, I keep glancing at the clock, willing the minutes to tick by faster.  I'm glad that Mikasa is at work and Armin is at the hospital, or else they'd start hounding me to concentrate on my homework and not on my phone.  And they'd ask me where I'm going when I finally give up and tug on my shoes, grabbing my keys and leaving the apartment.

I reach the parking lot just as Levi's Aston Martin rounds the corner and pulls into a space.  I hurry over to his car and climb in.

"Sorry again about the match," I apologize as he pulls out of the parking lot.  "It's just-"

"I don't need excuses, Eren," he says.  Then, after a moment of quiet, "Did you at least watch it?"

I duck my head, embarrassed at my own suckiness as a fan.  I never miss the matches.  Even when I'm in the hospital, I have a nurse put it on and I watch it on their little televisions.  When our television broke last season, I went down the street to the Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the match.  I never miss the matches.  But I missed this one.

"No.  But a friend told me the score.  Congrats on the win," I say, forcing a smile.

"Hey, kid," he says, glancing over at me with a raised eyebrow.  "Don't sweat it.  I don't expect you to be able to watch every single match we ever play.  But you will watch the match this weekend, right?  Now _that_ one, I won't forgive you for missing."

There's something in his tone, something I can't put my finger on.  It's a knowing tone, like he's looking for a certain reaction, but I don't dwell on it long though, because that reminds me that I never got to tell Levi about the job Marco gave me.

"Oh!  About that, my boss called and wants to send me to Quebec to photograph the match!" I tell him, my excitement oozing from my voice.  "So yeah, I definitely won't be missing this next match."

A smirk pulls at the corner of his lips.  "Good.  I won't be the only one getting dragged to Canada then."

I laugh.  "I don't know why you're so against this!  I'm so fucking excited I might explode," I admit to him.

"Hmm," he hums, that damn sexy smirk still on his face.  "I'm glad at least one of us will be enjoying it."  It's silent for a long minute, and his voice returns to its normal tone when he next speaks.  "I'm flying to Quebec tomorrow morning to practice with the team this week.  We won't be returning until Sunday, most likely pretty early."

I nod.  "When is the next Scouts match?"

"Sunday," he replies.  "It's an away match, so I'll basically be returning to Trost to meet up with the team before flying out to wherever the fuck we're playing.  Tell me, why did I agree to this again?"

I decide not to answer that question, instead only rolling my eyes.  Levi pulls into the parking garage for his building and I follow him to the elevator.  My heart is racing, as it usually is when I'm around him.  I'm preparing myself to be dragged into the bedroom again and fucked into his mattress.  That's what has happened every other time I've been to Levi's flat.  I can't stop the smile and the butterflies in my stomach at just the thought of what's about to happen.  I wonder if I'll ever get to the point where this elevator ride doesn't drive me crazy?  I also wonder how many of these elevator rides I have left.

But when the elevator doors slide open, Levi doesn't grab me, he doesn't kiss me, he doesn't pull me towards his bedroom.  No.  Instead, he heads to his kitchen to fish a cup out of a cupboard above his head.  I find it adorable that he has to stretch up on his tip-toes to reach the glasses.

"Do you want anything?" he asks, holding up the cup.

"Oh, uh... no, thanks," I say, standing awkwardly in small entry way in front of the elevator doors.  I don't know what do to right now.  Usually at this point I'm already halfway to being naked, with Levi's hands roaming my body, my dick fully hard and ready.  Isn't that what our relationship is?  I still can't put a name on it, but fuck buddies seems to be the closest.  Or, at least that's what I thought.

Once Levi's glass is full of water, he takes a sip and turns to me, an eyebrow raised.  My confusion must be obvious on my face, because a devilish smirk starts to tease at his lips.

"Don't worry, brat," he nearly purrs, which sends a jolt straight into my groin.  "My dick will be up your ass at some point today, if not on more than one occasion, I can promise you that."

I can feel the warmth in my cheeks, and I have to look away from that sinful smirk before I pop a boner.  As it is, I'm trying so mightily hard to keep one away right now, and seeing the look on Levi's face won't help my extreme efforts.

When I hear the glass get set down on the island, and footsteps head my way though, I can't help but look back over at Levi.  He stops in front of me and tilts his head to the side ever so slightly.  That damned sexy ass grin is still pulling at his lips.  One of his fingers comes up to run along the underside of my jaw, drawing every ounce of focus onto that singular digit.  How the hell is this man able to get to me so easily?

"I have some other things in mind before we get to that though," he says, his voice low and seductive.

His face is mere inches from mine, and I'm seconds away from getting completely lost in his steely eyes when suddenly he's drawing away from me.  I'm vaguely aware of his command for me to stay put while he heads into his bedroom.

I take that moment of aloneness to take a deep breath and try to regain control of my body.  Because, _fuck_ , Levi completely messes me up every time I'm with him.  He's not gone long though, returning just a minute later with something in his hand.  As he gets closer, he holds it up and fuck there goes all of the control I had worked so hard to gain.  It's a thick leather collar, lightly studded, and with a ring attached to the front, supposedly for a leash?  I've heard of petplay and shit, but I never in a million years thought it would excite me this much.

He hesitates, just holding up the strip of leather.  "Is this something you're okay with trying?" he asks.

I nod slowly, and when I'm finally able to find my voice, I point out rather shyly, "I was a virgin before I met you, so... I've never done this before.  I don't know how...."  I'm not exactly sure where I was going with that, but Levi's chuckle cuts me off as he reaches up to wrap the collar around my neck.

"First of all, being a virgin doesn't mean anything.  Petplay doesn't have to lead to sex, although in this case, it most certainly will.  Second, I'll walk you through it," he promises me.  "You can start by taking off your clothes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALL OF MY CHAPTERS SEEM TO EITHER HAVE SMUT OR END LEADING UP TO SMUT BECAUSE I HAVE NO SELF CONTROL. And technically, this chapter does have smut, just not ereri smut heh.
> 
> And again, I took a little bit of creative liberty with the hemophilia. One of the symptoms is, and I quote, 'painful, prolonged headaches' but that's all the details I got on that symptom. From my own medical knowledge, I assumed that the headaches hemophilia patients get would most likely be from lack of circulation of blood in the brain due to the thinning of the blood, causing a reduction in the amount of oxygen available for the brain. Oxygen reduction headaches are usually extremely painful, so that's my take on it.
> 
> One final note, as I said, I'm going camping this weekend, which means that any comments I don't respond to before tomorrow morning won't get answered until either late Sunday or sometime on Monday. Don't freak out if you don't see a response as quickly as normal. I will get to them, I promise :)


	13. Star Soccer Player Doesn't Do Relationships!

**Eren**

"You can start by taking off your clothes."

"U-Uhm, here?" I question hesitantly.  "We're not going to your bedroom?"

"No.  I have some paperwork I need to go over, so you'll be keeping me company out here," he tells me, walking over to the couch where he takes a seat and picks up a folder.  There's very neat handwriting across the front that I assume is Isabel's.  "Oh, and pets don't talk."

I'm about to ask a question, but I quickly shut my mouth and reach for the hem of my shirt.  But then I decide to head into the bedroom to change.  Levi doesn't say anything, and once in his room, I take my time to change.  Once my clothes are off and folded neatly, I look over my body.  My bruising is actually at a minimum right now.  It's been a week since I've been with Levi, so those bruises have almost completely faded away.  There's only one small bruise on my left hip, but it's barely bigger than a golf ball, and it's in the healing stage.

I can't even begin to describe how nervous I am when I start to head back into the front room.  It's an excited nervousness though.  I'm nervous because this, like everything else I've done with Levi, is completely new to me.  I'm not sure what to expect, and I'm terrified of making a mistake.  But I'm also excited because he promised that this would lead to sex.  My stomach flutters as I think about that, and it gives me more confidence to walk back out into the front room, as naked as the day I was born, with the exception of the collar.  My eyes dart over to the floor-to-ceiling window that serves as the back wall.  The curtains are fully drawn back.  I'm just glad that up here on floor twenty-something, no one will be able to see my naked ass.

"Also, pets walk on all fours," Levi tells me, not even looking up from his folder.

I hesitate, then slowly drop to my hands and knees.  The feeling of crawling across the hardwood floors like a damn dog, butt-ass naked, towards Levi is so ridiculous that it brings an embarrassed warmth to my cheeks.  But when Levi does look up at me, and those dark eyes watch every move I make as I crawl towards him....  It suddenly doesn't feel so ridiculous.

My heart is pounding in my chest as I reach Levi's knee and sit down by his foot.  What am I supposed to do?  What do dogs normally do?  Uhm, that's a good question.  I've never contemplated the inner workings of a dog's mind before.  But when Levi's eyes fall back to the papers in his folder, his pen scratching quickly over the surface, my reaction is almost automatic.

I whine, shocking myself with how much like a dog it sounds, and I push my nose against his knee.  It has the desired effect, and now I know why dogs do that all the time.  Levi looks over at me and his free hand reaches down to thread through my hair.  I close my eyes and lean into that hand.

"Did you just purr?  I thought you were a dog," Levi teases.

With a start, I realize that I did in fact purr.  "Sorry.  I mean...!  Arf!"

He rolls his eyes at me, but his hand doesn't stop stroking through my hair.  His fingers trail down my cheek to the underside of my chin, and he scratches there lightly.  His focus drifts back to his paperwork, and for the next few minutes, I just sit there quietly, unsure of what I should do.  I doubt he wants me to keep interrupting his paperwork, and I don't want to make him mad.  But after a while, I feel neglected enough to nuzzle his knee.  When his hand drops, seemingly automatically, to my head, I turn my face up to lick his fingers.

He looks disgusted for a moment, withdrawing his hand to wipe his fingers on my shoulder.  "No licking, pup," he demands, his voice stern with the tone one would use on a dog.

I whine, moving closer to his leg.  I'm suddenly feeling bold though, and I move between his legs, pushing my face between them and under the folder in his lap.  He seems surprised at first, but when I push further between his legs until my nose presses against his crotch, he tosses the folder onto the coffee table.  His hand pushes through my hair, taking a fistful of it and tilting my head back to look up at him.

"What does my pretty puppy want, hm?" he questions.

I whine and he smirks.  His free hand snakes down to the front of his jeans, rubbing over the bulge before moving back up to the button.

"Do you want this, pup?" he taunts.  I whine again, because god I really want what's hidden beneath that offensive piece of clothing.

His fingers slowly, teasingly, unbutton his jeans, then drag the zipper down.  I don't wait before plunging my nose into that opening.  I have no idea where all this boldness is coming from.  Maybe it comes with being horny as fuck.  All I know is that I want his cock so bad.  I want to taste it.  He's tasted mine, and he's hand his dick up my ass, but I haven't gotten the opportunity to have his dick in my mouth.  I get slightly nervous, but I try not to let that destroy my boldness.  I've never done this before.  I guess I kind of know _how_ to do it, but what if I do something wrong, or he doesn't like it?

I push those thoughts out of my mind as I run my tongue over the thin fabric of his boxers.  It's the only thing that separates my tongue from his half hard cock, and I want it gone.  But I tease anyway, enjoying the soft sounds I'm drawing from Levi's lips.  After a few strokes of my tongue, his hand is lightly pushing my face out of his crotch.  I whine, but cut off the sound as he reaches into the flap of his boxers to free that beautiful cock.  It's almost fully hard, and the piercing just under the head glistens in the light streaming in from the window.

Well, here goes nothing.

I flick my tongue at the piercing, then swirl it around the head.  I'm trying to remember what Levi did when he did this to me.  Judging by the deep groan Levi lets out, I'm obviously doing something right.  One of his hands threads through my hair and grips the back of my head.  That hand seems to guide me as I lick up the underside of his now fully hard cock before taking the head in my mouth.

My own cock hangs painfully hard between my legs, begging for attention, but I ignore it.  I relax my jaw and slowly try to take in as much of him as I can, testing how far I can get without gagging.  Just as my nose starts to brush the coarse hair at the base of his cock, I start to feel that I can't take any more.  I pull back, hollowing my cheeks and sucking on his cock as I retreat.  Levi moans, a deep throaty sound that makes me tingle all over.  I hum into his length and flick my tongue into the slit.  His hand fists in my hair.

Now that I've tested myself, now that I've gotten my first taste of Levi's cock and decided that I really, _really_ like it, I get more serious.  I brace my hands on his knees as I deep throat him again, moving at a faster pace up and down on his length.   His other hand comes up to loop a finger through the ring on the front of the collar.  He uses it, and his hand still on the back of my hand, to control me as I go down on him.  I find that I don't mind giving up control.

"Fuck, Eren," Levi growls.  "Fuck... that's it."

I moan around his cock and his fingers grip my hair harder as he releases a shaky breath.  His hands take full control of my head and I don't fight it in the slightest.  I close my eyes and let him fuck my mouth.  I savor the taste of his precome in my mouth, the feeling of his piercing messaging my tongue, the feeling of his hand on the back of my head and his finger looped through the ring on the collar.  One of my hands leaves his knee to reach between my legs.  I start to jerk myself off, unable to ignore the ache any longer.

"Oi, pup," Levi starts to say, but then groans, "Fuck it."

Whatever he had been about to say, I guess he deems it not important.  I continue to stroke myself, but slow my hand when I feel myself starting to reach my peak.  I want to come when Levi does.  It's not much longer when Levi's fingers in my hair try to pull my mouth from his cock.  I fight him though.  I want to taste it.  He doesn't fight me, and he comes with a guttural groan into the back of my throat.  I nearly choke, but manage to swallow everything, even as my own orgasm wracks me and I come into my hand.  The taste is bitter.  I don't know what I was expecting, certainly not sweet or savory, but it's not half bad.  I guess.  It's definitely something I'm going to have to get used to.

I continue to milk Levi's cock for every last drop, even after his hand falls from my hair.  When I pull back from his softening length with a slick pop, I look up at him to see him relaxed against the back of the couch, his eyes glazed and content.  He lifts a hand to wipe a bead of spit from my lower lip.

"Good pup," he hums, handing me a couple of tissues to clean myself up with.

With myself cleaned up and Levi tucked back into his jeans, his fingers move to my head to lazily stroke my hair.  His attention turns back to his paperwork, and this time I don't interrupt him.  I'm sated and happy, so I let him work, resting my chin on his knee as he continues to run his hand through my hair.  I didn't realize I was falling asleep until the ding of the elevator startles me awake.

I don't even have time to contemplate the fact that I'm sitting bare assed naked at Levi's feet, wearing nothing but a collar, and that someone, most likely Levi's female agent, is about to step off the elevator and into the room, before Levi is tossing a throw from the couch over my shoulders.  I quickly pull the ends around myself, covering me up as the doors open and, sure enough, Isabel walks into the room.  Levi doesn't look up from the folder at her even once, his face calm and nonchalant, as if nothing were even remotely out of place.  I, on the other hand, feel like my cheeks are about to spontaneously catch fire, and I can't look away from her out of sheer embarrassment.  Wait, how does that make any sense?  Shouldn't I be _unable_ to look at her?

Isabel's heels are the only sound in the room as they clack against the hardwood.  She's looking down at a magazine in her hand and doesn't even notice the scene in front of her.

"You know," Levi says, his voice cutting through the tense silence, "your unannounced visits make it really hard to have fun."

Isabel looks up at that, and when her eyes fall on me, sitting at Levi's feet with a throw wrapped tightly around me and a collar around my neck, her expression instantly shifts into one of exasperation.  Her eyes shoot to Levi and her face screams 'are you fucking kidding me?'.  Sorry, Isabel.  We are not fucking kidding you.

Levi's fingers lightly skimming across my cheek is what finally draws my attention from Isabel.  I look up at him and he gestures towards his bedroom with his chin.  He doesn't have to say a single word for me to get the message.  I stand and quickly hurry into the bedroom, the throw held tightly around me.  Closing the door behind me, I hesitate, my back against the wood.

A giggle escapes me.  The ridiculousness of the situation is catching up to me.  And I think I'm still giddy from my orgasm not long ago.  With a smile on my face, I find my clothes and pull them back on.  I reach up to unclasp the collar, but my fingers hesitate on the buckle.  Deciding to leave it on, I fold the throw and open Levi's door to head back out into the front room.

Levi and Isabel are talking in hushed voices as I make my way down the short hallway and it makes me stop, hidden just around the corner.

"-close with the kid," Isabel says.

"What's your point, Isabel?"

"Don't get me wrong, I think it's wonderful.  It's better than your bar hopping.  But do you think that a relationship with-"

"It's not a relationship.  I don't do relationships."

I hear Isabel sigh.  "Okay, it's not a relationship.  But it is something, and do you think that this something with a member of the press is wise?  Those are just the people you're trying to hide your orientation from."

"He signed the agreement.  He won't tell anyone, let alone get an article published in the newspaper.  Besides, he's just a photographer.  It's not like he's a reporter."

"I know that.  I just want you to be careful.  Your entire career is riding on the world not discovering your secret."  There's a long, tense pause, and I realize that I've been holding my breath.  My heart is racing in my chest.  I feel like I shouldn't be eavesdropping on this conversation, but I can't make my feet move, to either head back into the bedroom or to reveal myself.  I'm just about to step out into the front room, deciding that the long silence means their conversation is over, when Isabel continues.  "That being said, I'm actually really happy with what you and this boy have, even if it's not a relationship.  Don't get all defensive with me, but I think he's changing you.  You're not so cold and unapproachable anymore.  You're much more pleasant to be around."

"Tch.  I don't know what the fuck you're talking about," Levi snorts.

Isabel chuckles, and I get the feeling that the conversation is over.  I hear a shuffling of papers, and I take that opportunity to step out into the front room.  Levi looks up, his eyes flickering to my neck, and I see a small smirk tug at the corner of his lips.  Oh right, I'm still wearing the collar.  He gestures for me to come sit by him, and I obey.

He's holding a magazine, the same one Isabel had been holding when she arrived.  He hands it to me and I take it.  It's the new issue of Trost Sports Magazine with Levi's half naked photo splayed across the front.  A note on the side of the cover indicates which page the article about him is on, and I flip to it.  I only skim it though.  I've read a bunch of articles just like this one before.  Yeah, yeah, I know I'm obsessed.  Don't judge me.  At least I'm banging my obsession.  That's more than most people can say.

Isabel and Levi are talking about the trip to Quebec, and I only half listen.  It's mostly boring stuff.  Isabel gives Levi some more paperwork to go over.  Something about insurance and contracts and stupid legal stuff like that.

I must've zoned out, because the ding of the elevator draws my attention back to the here and now.  I look up to see the elevator doors closing behind Isabel.  The second they close, Levi's hands grab my hips and he pulls me into his lap.  I yelp, my arms flailing about to keep myself from falling over.  Levi's arms constrict around my waist, his teeth biting into my shoulder blade.  I feel his hips grind up into my ass.

"Now, where were we?" he murmurs into my back.

I don't have time to answer before his hands are sliding down my stomach to unbutton my pants.  My libido is back on in record time, and I quickly stand so I can shimmy out of my pants.  I turn around, so that I'm straddling Levi.  His hands fall to my hips as I reach for the button of his own pants.  He lifts his hips so that I can pull them, boxers included, halfway down his thighs.  His lips find my collarbones as my hands stroke his cock a few times until it's fully hard.

Levi fishes through the pockets of his pants before pulling out a condom.  As he tears open the foil, I spit on my fingers and lower them to my entrance to prep myself.  I've never had to do it to myself before, and it's awkward at first, but I quickly get the hang of it.  When I catch Levi watching my fingers work open my own ass, a look of pure lust in his eyes, I decide not to hold back at all.  I moan whorishly loud, throwing my head back as I push my two fingers deeper.  Levi sits back and watches, his hand falling down to his own cock to lazily start stroking.

"You just going to watch me fuck myself?  Or are you actually going to fuck me, daddy," I purr.  Fuck, did I really just say that?  I didn't mean to.  It just slipped out.  Shit.

Levi's growl halts any and all embarrassment that had started to creep into my cheeks.  His hands take hold of my hips- much more gently than in the past, I notice- and he pulls me forward so I'm poised above his cock.

"I actually really like that," he murmurs, looking up at me.  His pupils are blown wide in lust and his hands glide up the skin of my back beneath my shirt.  A shiver runs up my spine at the touch and at the tone in his voice.  "Call me that again."

"You like when I call you daddy?" I ask, making my voice as sultry as possible, as I start to sink down onto his cock.  The head pushes past the tight ring of muscles and I wince, leaning forward so that Levi can't see it.  Spit only makes a half decent lube, and I guess I was a little hasty in prepping myself.  Now I know why Levi always takes his time and is careful when he preps me.

"Yes, I do," Levi groans into my chest, his warm breath causing goose bumps on my skin.

I brace my hands on the back of the coach as I lower myself fully onto his cock, until I'm sitting on his lap.  Levi gives me time to adjust, his hands continuing their roaming of my back and sides.  He grabs the hem of my shirt and tries to pull it off over my head.  But he is shorter than I am, and with me sitting on his lap, he can't reach up high enough to pull the shirt free.  It gets caught under my chin, the fabric trapping my arms.

"Fuck," Levi curses.

I can't help it.  I laugh.  I can't see anything, the black material of my shirt completely blinding me.  My arms are tangled in the shirt, stuck above my head.  Such a ridiculous thing happening in the middle of something like sex is just hilarious.  I hear, and feel, Levi chuckle as well.  I'm almost crying with how hard I'm laughing as the two of us struggle to get my shirt off.  The fact that Levi's dick is still up my ass only makes the whole situation funnier.

"Shut up," Levi growls, but he's still laughing too.

My arms and head are finally freed from their confines, but we're both still laughing.  My eyes are watering and I lift my hands to rub at them.  Levi's hands settle on my sides and he bucks his hips into mine.  My laughter dies as I gasp, my hands falling to his shoulders.  Levi's amused smirk is now a devious one, and his teeth find one of my nipples as he begins to roll his hips against mine.  I reach for the hem of Levi's shirt and have a much easier time pulling it off over his head than he did with mine.  I run my fingertips over the sculpted muscle of his chest.

His hands trail down to my ass, where they knead and grope.  I hum in pleasure as I slowly lift my hips from Levi's lap.  Levi's cock, especially that sinful piercing, massage my passage and draw a long moan from my lips.  I drop back down quickly, getting impaled once again on his cock.  I pick up a steady, quick pace, and Levi matches it, thrusting his hips up to meet mine.  My own painfully hard cock rubs up against Levi's stomach, and the sensation drives me crazy.  I wrap my arms around his neck, running my fingers through the fuzz of his undercut, as his arms constrict around my waist.

My entire focus is on Levi's cock pounding into my ass, and on my own cock gaining a little bit of friction trapped in between our bodies as we both reach our peak.  I have absolutely no control over the words spilling out of my mouth, and I'm sure I'll be embarrassed about that later, but for right now, I really don't give two fucks.

"Mmm right there," I groan as the head of his cock hits that sensitive spot again.  "Harder, daddy.  Fuck me harder."

A throaty moan leaves Levi's lips as he complies, thrusting his hips up into mine harder and faster.  My words become an unintelligible jumble of sounds.  Levi's breathe is hot against my chest.  His arms tighten around my waist and I know he's nearing his peak.

I come first though, when Levi hits that sensitive spot one more time.  My moan is shamefully loud as I bury my face in his neck, my movements faltering.  Levi's hands grab my hips though to keep them steady as he thrusts a few more times into me before he too reaches his peak.

We sit in silence for a long minute, both of us trying to catch our breath.  My arms remain lazily wrapped around Levi's neck, my nose buried in his silky black hair.  His fingertips trace light circles over my ass, and his lips leave hickies all over my chest.

I'm always giddy after sex with Levi, but something feels a little different about this time.  This time was different from the other times where lust was the only thing driving us.  I mean, yeah there was a lot of lust this time too, I could see it in his eyes, but I feel like there was something else between us too.  Maybe it was just the comedic situation of my shirt getting stuck.  Maybe it's just because we're getting more familiar with each other.  Levi and Isabel have both said that Levi never usually sleeps with the same person twice.  His partners are always a one-and-done kind of deal.  I guess I also still have Isabel and Levi's conversation tumbling around in my head, the one I eavesdropped on.  Isabel said that I am changing Levi.  What does that even mean?  He doesn't seem any different to me.  But then again, I didn't know him at all before a few months ago, before we met.  All I knew was what I read in newspaper and magazine articles, and what I watched on TV during his matches.  And that's not enough to really know a person.

Whatever it is, I decide not to dwell on it.  I'll stick around and enjoy the hot, amazing sex with Levi for as long as he wishes to keep me around, and when he gets bored of me, I'll step back and let him move on.  Don't get me wrong, I don't _want_ to step away from him, but what other choice do I have?  He's said it before, that he can't commit to me.  I'm just a fuck buddy.  An acquaintance if I'm lucky.  A friend if I'm really lucky.  But I'm not his exclusive lover, his significant other.  No commitment.  He said specifically to Isabel that we don't have a relationship, that he 'doesn't do relationships'.  This is all we're ever going to have, and I have to accept it and enjoy if for as long as it lasts.

Yeah, I can do that.  I'm happy with this.

But... am I really?

...

Waking up the next morning sucks.  Well, yes, it sucked in the literal sense of the word because Levi and I had some fun before we got out of bed and I got one hell of a blowjob.  But it figuratively sucks because it is god damn fucking early and my ass is absolutely _killing_ me.  I think maybe Levi and I went one too many rounds last night before we finally went to sleep.  Damn, for an old guy he sure has a lot of stamina.  Must be because he plays soccer in the major leagues.  It keeps him in shape and gives him the ability to outlast the fucking Energizer bunny.

But oh man, I'm not complaining.  I had more fun yesterday throughout the day than should be legal.  We used the handcuffs again, and the blindfold, and the bastard introduced a cock ring.  I had been beginning to pick up on the fact that Levi enjoys control, what with the handcuffs and the petplay and the things he likes me to say to him during sex, but after we messed around with that cock ring for a while, my assumption was one hundred percent fucking confirmed.  It's hard to describe how much he enjoyed controlling my release.  But fuck it was a real turn on.  Which, you know, didn't help the situation.

Now, I'm sprawled on my stomach across Levi's entire bed, watching him pack his bag for Quebec.  My headache of all headaches from a couple of days ago is making a sad attempt at returning, settling as a dull throb at the base of my skull, but it's easily ignored.  My tired eyes glance over at the alarm clock on the bedside table.  Five fucking twenty-three in the morning.  Why does he have such an early flight?  Jeez.  In hindsight, it might've been wise for us to go to bed before two o'clock in the morning.  Well, we were technically in bed _long_ before that, but that's not what I mean.

My droopy eyelids must've closed because I jolt awake when something hits my face.  I reach up and pull my shirt from my face, letting it drop over the edge of the bed and onto the floor.  Oh, I think Levi said something....

"What?" I ask sleepily with a yawn.

"I said put it on, not drop it back on the floor," Levi retorts.

"Oh."  With over dramatic sigh, I heavy my sore and tired body up off the bed and snatch the shirt from the ground and start to pull it on over my head.  My boxers, followed by my jeans, land on the bed next, and I go through the motions of getting dressed.  I'm pretty sure I'm only half awake right now, and can't be held responsible for getting my clothes on the right direction, or right side out.

I get to my feet, reaching towards the ceiling as I stretch with another yawn.  Levi is digging in his closet for clothes to pack into his bag, and I walk up behind him.  Like I said, I'm still half asleep, so I can't be held responsible for my actions, or for deciding that it'd be a good idea to wrap my arms around Levi's waist and hug myself to his back, burying my face in his neck.

"What the fuck are you doing, brat?"

I don't release him, and he doesn't try to get me off, continuing with his packing.  "Why do you always call me brat?  Or kid?  You only ever call me Eren when you're..." I'm cut off by a yawn, "... when you're fucking me."

"Would you like me to call you brat and kid while I'm fucking you?"  If I was a little more awake, I might've been able to catch the sarcasm in his tone.

I exhale sharply into his hair, which he cringes away from slightly.  "That's the exact opposite of where I was trying to get with that."

He rolls his eyes at me as he finally pulls out of my grip.  "I was joking.  But your point has been noted.  I'll call you Eren more often than just when my cock is up your ass."

"You're so eloquent," I retort with a snicker, following him out into the front room.

"Big word for you, no?"

"Shut up," I pout.

I follow Levi down to his car, and once his one bag is loaded into the trunk, we climb in and he takes me back to my apartment.  Our exchange of goodbyes is no different than usual.  He tells me to 'get out' and I wish him good luck at the exhibition match if I don't get the chance to talk to him before it starts.  Then, I do as he says and climb out of his car to head back to my apartment.  I'm just glad that it's early enough that Mikasa and Armin won't be awake yet.  I can just tell them that I got home after they went to sleep, that I definitely did _not_ spend the night with someone else, getting my brains fucked out repeatedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, the petplay was lame, it kinda just turned into a blowjob, but I have no idea what they hell I'm doing ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	14. Exhibition Match Comes Down to the Last Seconds!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the exhibition match, so it is very soccer-centric. Hopefully it doesn't bore any of you. I tried to make it exciting.
> 
> Also!!! The wonderful [gorgeouslevi](http://gorgeouslevi.tumblr.com/) made some amazing [fanart](http://gorgeouslevi.tumblr.com/post/117053732094) for the last chapter so you should definitely go check it out. Thank you bby! :3

**Levi**

For the hundredth time since I got here five days ago, I make a mental note to fucking strangle that damned brat.  Why the fuck did I agree to do this again?  I couldn't have been _just_ because he flashed those damn puppy eyes at me.  I'm not _that_ weak.  So why the hell else did I agree to do this?  At least I'm not alone.  At least Mike got recruited, and accepted the offer, as well.  I'm not all on my own with these fucking shitheads.

The first day of practice was fine.  It was nothing to get too pissed about, but it sure as hell wasn't anything to get excited about either.  It was the next day of practice though when I realized that the head coach is an incompetent shitstain.  Who the fuck hired this clown?  And who the hell does he think he is to tell me that 'my style isn't compatible with the rest of the team' and that 'I need to get my attitude in check'.  The fuck?  This isn't high school.  I don't need to get diddly squat in check.  And he can take his 'not compatible' and shove it up his ass.  Maybe he should teach the rest of his team how to play fucking soccer and not try to get me to step down to their level.

Okay, okay, I'm done ranting.  I'm just glad that it's Saturday, and that today will be my last day with this sorry excuse for a soccer team.  There's only a few of them, other than Mike of course, that I can tolerate.  One is the left winger, a man from Stohess.  That's Farlan's position, and our friendship on and off the field has made me develop a reliance on that position, so I'm glad that I can actually somewhat get along with this guy.  But everyone else can suck my dick.

Eren sent me a text this morning saying that he was getting on his plane.  I had gotten it while I was getting ready for practice, so I had decided to hold off replying until after practice ended.  We have a two hour break between the end of practice and the start of the match.  So once practice is called to an end and I make my way into the locker room, pull my phone out of my assigned locker and take a seat on the bench.  I stare at his message for a long minute, trying to decide how to respond.

Wait... why the fuck do I care what I say?  He was just telling me that he was getting on his fucking plane.  I don't have to say anything at all, really.  And even if I did, all I have to say is 'okay' or 'I'll see you at the match' or 'try not to get lost in the airport'.  He's probably already here anyway, so why does it matter?  But I end up typing out something completely out of character for me and hitting the send button before I have the chance to realize how completely stupid it was.

 **To: Shitty Brat**  
**Did you have a safe flight?**  
**3:09PM**

Why do I care how his flight went?  Well, I guess any decent human being would want another human being that they are acquainted with to have a safe trip.

 **From: Shitty Brat**  
**Aw you *do* care about me!**  
**3:10PM**

"Tch," I snort to myself, tossing my phone into my locker as I stand to get dressed into my street clothes.  I want to go find some place to eat before I have to return in an hour to get ready for the match, which means I need to change out of my practice clothes.  I glare at the ugly ass Team USA jersey hanging in my locker that I received this morning.  It has my name written across the back, and they even gave me my Scouts number, twenty-three.  They told me I could keep it as a memento, or some bullshit like that, but why the hell would I want to keep the horrid thing?  Maybe I'll give it to Eren.

My phone vibrates loudly against the metal of my locker, but I don't pick it up.  Instead, I grab my clean clothes and head into the shower area to rinse off the filth that accumulated during practice.  Once I return, my hair damp and my body feeling so much cleaner, I pick up the phone to read that brat's message.

"Who're you texting?"

I look up to see Mike walking up to me, towel drying his blond mop of hair.  The way he towers over me has always sort of made me uncomfortable.  I mean, the big ass tree is over a foot taller than me.  But he's been a good friend ever since joining the Scouts, and all the way over here in another country, he's my only friend, so I enjoy his tall company.

"Isabel," I reply automatically.

He snorts, a weird sniffing sound that I've gotten used to over the years.  "I swear she has you more by the balls than she does Farlan.  Is she making sure that you haven't punched anybody yet?"

"Can you blame me for wanting to?  We're surrounded by incompetent shitstains.  If this is what Team USA has to choose from for the World Cup Team, we're screwed next summer."

"I can't disagree with you there.  I'm almost done getting ready, then we can go get something to eat," he tells me, turning around to head back to his own locker.

I watch him leave, and once I'm alone again, I open that message that's not actually from Isabel.

 **From: Shitty Brat**  
**I'm just messing with you grumpy ;) My flight was safe but boooring. My coworker annoyed the shit out of me but that's normal. I slept through most of the flight though and I think I had a dream that you fucked me in the bathroom on the plane ;)**  
**3:13PM**

I roll my eyes, but that doesn't mean the thought doesn't turn me on a little.  Now my mind is stuck on the images of Eren and I squeezed into a tiny airplane bathroom, with him bent over the sink and my cock up his ass.  I never really considered myself turned on by the thought of public sex but fuck....  It's those thoughts that have me writing out my next message.

 **To: Shitty Brat**  
**Horny brat. Meet me near the locker room entrance before the match starts.**  
**3:26PM**

The hotel gave me two card keys to my room.  As I pull my wallet from my locker and leave the locker room, I find myself checking it just to make sure that there are in fact two keys.  There are.  Well, one will be given to Eren before the start of the match.  I didn't bring anything fun to play with, but I'm sure that won't be a problem tonight.  We can get creative.

 **From: Shitty Brat**  
**Okay!! :D**  
**3:28PM**

Pushing all thoughts of what I'm going to do to Eren tonight out of my head, I leave the stadium with Mike in search for something to eat.  I have to admit, the one thing I am liking about Quebec is that my face isn't so recognizable here.  The people that bustle down the sidewalks may or may not know the name Levi Ackerman, but they certainly don't seem to know the face that belongs to that name.  That makes walking around in public so much easier.  And, it'll mean that inviting Eren up to my hotel room won't attract much attention.  I still have to be careful, because there are press here for the match that do know my face, but it's much easier sneaking around here than in Trost.

We enter the first place we come across where the food looks edible and the place looks decently clean.  Now I want this match to be over with even more than I already did.  It's not like me to get this eager for a roll in the sheets, but Eren always seems to get me abnormally excited.  I try not to dwell on that either as we sit down to eat.

...

As the team funnels out of the locker room twenty minutes before the start of the match, I immediately look around for Eren.  The sidelines are absolutely packed with reporters and photographers and paparazzi in all forms.  The stadium looks like can of sardines.  Bright colors dot the stands, blues for Team USA I guess, but the reds and whites could be either team.  I find Eren standing with that one horse faced kid from the press conference.  I remember him being from Trost Daily also.  Well this is going make things a little more difficult.

But when Eren sees the team filing out of the locker room, he sneaks away from the two toned horse face and moves towards the end of the press mob.  I sneak to the back of the group and as casually as possible slip the card key from the waistband of my pants and press it into his palm.  I murmur the room number, not needing to say the hotel name since it's on the card.  I only meet his eyes for a moment, but keep my expression neutral as I continue onto the field with the rest of the shitstains I'm expected to play soccer with.

We go through all the pre-match bullshit, which includes a short welcoming speech from the head coach of Team Canada, and a reminder that the match will be played to the rules set by FIFA.  The captains of each team jog out to the field for the coin flip.  Usually that's me out there, since I'm the captain of the Scouts.  I was even offered one of the captain positions, but I declined.  I actually _like_ my team with the Scouts, so I actually enjoy being their captain and leading them, but fuck these asshats.  I just want to get this match over with so I can fuck the pretty boy with the nice eyes and go home.  Wait, fuck, I have an away match tomorrow, so I won't be going home any time soon.  God damn it, why did I agree to this again?

When the whistle is finally blown for the teams to take the field, I jog up to my position in the center of the field.  We get first kick, so I step up to the ball, glancing over at my left and right wingers.  Well, hopefully we won't get absolutely slaughtered.

The whistle blows to start the match and I instantly clear my mind, diving straight into match mode.  It actually doesn't go as horridly as I was expecting.  Both teams are made up of the best of the best from their country's leagues.  The people I've been paired with may be incompetent shitstains and I may complain that they don't know how to play soccer, but they're actually not that bad.  I mean, they got recruited onto Team USA, so obviously they're doing something right.  It's just learning to play with them when I'm so used to my teammates from the Scouts that's got me so annoyed with them.

By the time the end of the first half rolls around, the score is zero all and I'm a sweaty mess.  Jogging over to our bench, I grab a clean towel to wipe at my face.  As we all take a seat on the long bench, the coach walking up and down the row going over new strategies and basically just giving us a pep talk, I find myself glancing across the field where Eren and his horse face friend are standing.  They're both wearing their Scouts jerseys.  How cute.  The brat doesn't notice me staring, so I continue to watch him bicker with Seabiscuit.  Seabiscuit seems only somewhat excited to be at the match, a notepad and pen gripped loosely in his hand.  He must be a reporter.  Well, I assumed as much considering he was at the press conference.  His job here must be just taking notes for an article.  Eren's job is the most important at this stage.  He holds his camera as if it were his most prized possession, and appears to be completely tuning Seabiscuit out.

I let my eyes roam that lean body, hidden from me by multiple layers of thick clothing.  His cheeks are slightly pink, I can see from even all the way across the field.  Yeah, it is pretty cold here.  I'll have to warm him up tonight.  I shamelessly undress him with my eyes, my mind easily supplying me with images of what he looks like naked.  More than that, what he looks like naked, with my dick up his ass, and his lips moaning my name.

Fuck I need to stop my train of thought right now before I pop a boner.

"Hey, isn't that the kid that's always at our practices?" Mike's voice suddenly says from right next to me.  "The kid you've grown kind of close with?"

I look up to see that the coach has finished his pep talk, and the other players and stretching and keeping warm, talking amongst each other.  I force myself not to look back at Eren, and force those images from my head, as I lean back into the cold metal bench.  I plaster a bored expression onto my face to try and hide what I had been previously thinking about.

"Yeah, I just noticed he was here," I tell him.  "I'm not that close with the kid.  He's just a photographer."

"Hey, nothing wrong with having friends from the press," Mike defends.

"He's just a stray that I'm trying to keep out of trouble," I reply.  That's not completely a lie.  That is how it started out, after all.  I saw all his bruises and made a half-assed attempt at separating him from what I assumed was an abuser by inviting him to our practices.  I'm still not convinced that he isn't getting abused, but now witnessing firsthand how easily the brat bruises, it's not so easy to make that assumption anymore.  Now I'm just going off of his random and sudden no-shows.

Mike doesn't press me on it, and I don't look back over at Eren through the rest of the break.  When we take the field again for the second half, we've switched sides so that now we're defending the side of the field furthest from Eren.  That means I'll be up near Eren most of the time.  I'll try to give him a couple of good shots.

The left winger passes me the ball as we race down the field.  I dribble it forward, easily skirting around a fullback that tries to steal the ball from me using some complicated footwork.  I'm breathing hard already, and it's only half way through the last half.  The score is still zero all, despite a few incredible shots on goal by Team Canada.  But Mike is doing his job and hasn't managed to let a single ball into the net.  Team USA, on the other hand, has only had two measly shots on goal.  These fullbacks are really something else, and I still have been unable to find a comfortable rhythm to fall into with my other forwards.  We're not reading each other like we need to be.

I pass the ball off to the left inside forward, and with quick successive movements in the most coordinated play we've made all night, the ball goes in between all five of us forwards the rest of the way up the field.  I pass the ball off to the right winger, and he immediately passes it back to me positioned at the right corner of the goal box.  My mind works quickly to track the ball's trajectory, and I'm winding up for a shot on goal before the ball even reaches me.  I'm planting my left foot, my right foot swinging down for the shot just as the ball passes in front of me.  The top of my foot connects with the ball and a slight twist of my ankle sends the ball flying through the air on an arch curving sharply to the left.  I watch the ball, continuing forward in case it's blocked.  But it isn't.  It sails just past the goal keeper's fingers.

Half the stadium erupts into cheer and I myself allow an excited shout to leave my lips as I leap into the air.  Fuck!  The feeling of scoring a goal, especially in a tight match like this, is indescribable.  My fellow forwards follow me as I race back down the field, pumping a fist.  This is the only time I allow my emotions to take over while on the field.  Well, emotions other than my aggression.  I let the good feelings rushing though my body take control.  But only for a minute or so.  The excitement dies down as a referee brings the ball back up to center field.  I calm myself down and take my position.  Now it's up to Mike to keep Team Canada from scoring.

With four minutes left in the match, Mike's skill finally falls short of Team Canada's forwards.  I don't blame Mike though.  There was no possible way for that shot to be blocked.  Well, I'll just have to score another goal now won't I?  Four minutes on the clock?  No problem.  Bring it on.

I actually pull my forwards together into a tight huddle for the first time that night.  For the first time that week, really.  Hell, I'm not the captain here, but my captain tendencies are starting to take control.  I didn't really care how this match turned out until this very moment, but now I have this strong desire to win.  I _have_ to win.  When I think about why that is, my mind immediately supplies the face of a certain green-eyed student.  No, that's stupid.  Why would I want to win for him?  Because he's the one that wanted me to play so bad?  Because I had his dumb ass dragged all the way out here as well?  Yeah, it was me that convinced Isabel to have Trost Daily send him.  I'll never _ever_ admit that to the kid, but it's true.  I can't answer why to that either.  I want to say that it's because he made me go, so I made him go, but it's not that simple.

"Okay, shitstains," I address my forwards.  Maybe not the best way to start, but hey, this isn't a pep talk, this is a get-their-heads-out-of-their-asses-so-they-actually-do-something talk.  "You need to start working with me instead of fighting me.  That play we made before we scored?  That was fucking beautiful.  We need to work like _that_ or we're not going to be able to win this match.  We have four minutes.  Four fucking minutes.  That should be plenty of time.  Don't hog the god damn ball, don't try to go at it by yourselves.  We're a _team_.  It's about time we fucking act like one.  Not only are we a team, we're Team U S of fucking A.  Let's show these pansy ass Canadians how _real_ soccer is played."

"USA!" they shout as we break, heading for our positions as the ref places the ball and starts to step back.

The whistle blows and all noise seems to cease.  I know it doesn't really.  I know the stadium is roaring.  But it's just a faint buzz in the back of my head.  The whole of my focus is on the field; on the feel of my cleats digging into the grass, on the sound of the heavy breathing of the twenty-one other men surrounding me, the feel of my sweat rolling down my temples and chest and soaking into my ugly ass jersey, the smell of torn up grass, on the tingle of my skin as the ball makes its way to me.

Breathe, dribble, avoid the fullback, dribble, pass.  Switch directions, avoid the fullback, find an open spot, catch the ball, dribble, dribble, dribble, pass.  Oh right, breathe.  Call for the pass, avoid the fullback, catch the ball.  The net is clear.  Sprint for the net.  Avoid the fullback.  The shot is lost.  Pass the ball.  Loop back around, get open, avoid the fullback, call for the pass, catch the ball.  And shoot.

Something snags the ankle of my plant foot and I am ripped back into reality as I crash to the ground.  What the fuck?  I scramble back to my feet and turn to the ref, ready to get up in that clown's face, until he pulls out a yellow card.  Yeah, that's right.  He would've been blind not to see that as a trip.  Because it completely was.  Perfect.  We get the ball at the spot of the infraction, and that happens to be just in front of the goal.  I nod to my left winger, and he nods back.  The defenders try to line up to guard the goal, but little do those shitstains know, I'm not going to make the attempt.  The idiots left my left winger completely open.

I glance to the play clock as I get into position.  Fourteen seconds left in the match.  Fuck.  I didn't realize how low we were running on time.  It's now or never.  The whistle blows and I charge forward as if I'm going to make the attempt.  But at the last possible second, I swing my foot around and rocket the ball to my left winger.  The kick is perfect and he doesn't even have to catch the ball and position it.  He winds up and kicks it just as my pass reaches him.  The ball races past the wall of defenders, past the hands of the goal keeper, and smashes into the back of the net.

I cheer loudly, running straight for my left winger.  This is usually where Farlan lifts me into the air, because I'm short and it's always me that gets lifted up.  What I'm not expecting though is for this Stohess player to wrap his arms around my waist and lift me into the air just as Farlan would.  It's at that moment though that our other forwards catch up to us and mob us.  We won.  And it's a wonderful feeling.

The rest of the team is suddenly surrounding us, jumping up and down and clapping each other on the back amidst the cheers and shouts.  The match is over.  Mike grabs me and lifts me onto his shoulder.  The Stohess player isn't a big guy either, and someone soon has him up on their shoulders.  I punch the air with a loud cheer.  I won't lie.  This was actually a very enjoyable match.  I'll have to thank that brat later for forcing me to agree to this.

Over the sound of our own cheering, I start to hear a chant echoing through stadium.  They're chanting 'USA'.  Any other time, I'd think that'd be pretty pathetic, but right now my blood is pumping, I'm excited, and I'm proud of my team.  I may have complained about them all week, but they're actually a great group of guys that really know how to play soccer.

As the celebration on the field dies down, we listen to the head of Team Canada congratulate us on our win, and thank us again for playing in this friendly exhibition match.  We shake hands with the Canadian players, go through all the formalities, which there aren't many of considering this was just an exhibition match, then file into the locker room.  The coach gathers us around once we all enter the locker room.  I really want to take a shower and change, because I feel absolutely disgusting, but instead I jump up onto the bench so that I can see over all of these trees' heads.

"That was a great match, gentlemen.  On behalf of Team USA, I'd like to thank every single one of you for agreeing to come out and play.  I couldn't have asked to be given a more skilled group of men to coach.  Our World Cup team scouters were all here, and I've received word that they're also pretty happy with all of your performances.  I'd love to see you all at the next exhibition match if you get invited, and if not, hopefully on the World Cup team this coming summer," he says.  Everyone cheers and applauds throughout the entire thing.  "Alright, I won't keep you guys longer.  Go have fun and celebrate your victory.  Oh, and Ackerman, Zacharias."

Mike and I, who had been stepping away from the group, stop and turn back to face the coach.  The group parts a little so that we can see him.  Why is everyone fucking staring at us?  Why did he call us out?  Did we do something wrong?

"I understand the Scouts are playing tomorrow against Karanese," the coach says, then looks around.  "No one here is from Karanese, right?"  Silence greets him, followed by laughter when he turns to us and continues.  "Good luck tomorrow.  And thank you for agreeing to play here tonight.  You two drove this entire team."

I offer him a nod, and Mike thanks him before we continue on to our lockers.  Standing in the showers beside each other, Mike tosses me the shampoo bottle as he asks, "You want to go get something to eat?"

I almost agree, but then I remember.  Fuck, how could I forget?  Eren has my room key, and could be in my room right now waiting for me.  I desperately try not to picture him laid out naked on my bed, awaiting my return, because I do _not_ want to pop a boner while standing in the showers with another man that just asked me to go get dinner with him.

I shake my head, tossing the shampoo bottle back to Mike after squirting a generous amount directly onto the top of my head.  "No, I think I'm just going to go back to my room and crash.  Maybe order some room service.  I'm totally drained," I tell him, scrubbing the suds into my scalp.

He nods, leaving it at that.  I quickly finish my shower, then head back to my locker with my towel wrapped firmly around my waist.  I try not to appear that I'm in a hurry as I get dressed and clean out my locker.  The hotel is right next door to the stadium, which is why we were put up there, but I jog across the street to a small drug store first.  They're sure to have condoms and lube there, right?  I guess I could go without condoms.  I'm clean.  I get tested regularly.  And since I have been Eren's only partner, I know that he's clean too.  But we definitely need lube.  I know he tried to hide it from me, but I saw how uncomfortable he was the last time we were together and went without it.

With my purchases of a small tube of lube and a string of condoms tucked into my pocket, I hurry back to my hotel room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a desperate need for Levi to give a pep talk.... Sorry if any of you are Canadian. I have Canadian roots so don't hate on me too much ^-^
> 
> I'm also on [Tumblr](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/) and I'm tracking the tag "fic: fotp" :3


	15. Shocking Turn of Events at Scouts Match!

**Eren**

"Hey Eren!  Where are you going?" Jean's annoying voice calls from behind me.

"Out.  Dude, I'm in another country for the first time in my life.  I'm going to go explore," I retort, continuing down the hall from our shared hotel room.  Yes, I said shared.  _Shared._   With _Jean_.  How the hell Marco ever thought that'd be a good idea, I don't know.  I already had to sit next to his annoying ass during a five hour flight, and then had to stand with him through the entire match.  And then Marco decided to have us share a hotel room too?  Fuck, there's only so much of Jean I can tolerate in a given amount of time.  And I've definitely already exceeded that amount.  That's why I will forever be eternally grateful for Levi giving me his room key.  Well, that and for other obvious reasons as well.

Jean doesn't follow after me, for which I am grateful.  "I'll be out really late, so don't wait up for me," I call to him over my shoulder before getting into the elevator.

The elevator takes me up a few floors.  Funnily enough, Marco booked us into the same hotel that the team was booked into.  Once the elevator lets me off on Levi's floor, I roam the halls looking for the room number he told me.  When I find it, I enter the room.  I'm not surprised to see it dark and empty.  I had already assumed that Levi would still be at the stadium.  But this is exactly what I wanted.  I had hightailed it out of the stadium as soon as the match ended.  I wanted to get here first.

Closing the door behind me and placing the key card on the dresser, I walk up to the bed and drop my backpack onto the thick comforter.  I had no idea if I'd be seeing Levi at all while we were here, but I brought some things just in case.  A small tube of lube, some condoms, and some other things I thought to bring.

Crossing over to the window, I close the blinds tight before undressing.  The room is dark, and I nearly trip over something on the way back to the bed.  I fold my clothes neatly and place them on top of the dresser so that Levi won't have a fit.  I pull out a long dark blue necktie and a small box from my backpack.  I don't have all the nice toys that Levi does, so I just have to make do with what I've got.  I crawl up onto the bed and lay on my back.  I place the condoms on the nightstand, then grab the lube and spread my legs.

I carefully prep myself, remembering how last time I didn't do a very good job and it had hurt a little.  I close my eyes, leaning my head back into the pillows and imagining that it's Levi's skilled fingers working me open.  I work carefully, but quickly.  I have no idea when Levi will get back, and I want to be ready for him when he gets here.  I want to surprise him.

Once I feel that I'm well prepped, I remove my fingers from my entrance and reach over to grab the small box.  Honestly, I'm a little nervous about this.  I'm trying to forget how embarrassing it was to go buy it.  Opening the box, I pull out a black butt plug.  I've never even seen one before, but I had heard of them and I bought one on a whim.  I slick it up with lube, then carefully slide it into my prepped entrance.  This will keep me ready no matter how long Levi takes to return.  I clean off my fingers, then grab the tie and loop it through the headboard.  I tie the ends of the tie around both wrists, then test their hold.  They're a little loose, but they'll work.  Every movement of my body makes the plug shift in my hole and sends jolts of pleasure through my body.  God this is going to be torture until Levi gets here.

I lay back against the bed, my hands tied to the headboard and my ass ready, and wait for Levi to arrive.  Thankfully, it's not too long before I hear a key in the door.  My heart starts to race in excitement.  My erection that had started to fade grows completely hard again.  I lift my knees up, planting my feet on the sheets to give Levi the perfect view when he enters the room.

Damn I wish I had my camera.  His face, the moment he walks into the room, is one I wish I could capture and keep forever.  It was totally worth all this planning.  He doesn't even have time to reach for the light switch before his eyes fall on me, laying naked and tied up on his bed.  His eyes go wide, his lips are parted in shock, and his steps falter.  I'm just glad that the heavy door swings closed on its own.

"I'm ready to celebrate with you, daddy," I say as seductively as I possibly can.

That seems to snap him out of his shock, and suddenly he can't get his clothes off fast enough as he crosses the room towards me on the bed.

"You horny little shit," he purrs, pulling his boxers down to reveal his half had erection.  Oh god, I've waited long enough for Levi's cock to replace this damn plug in my ass.  I purposely bought a plug a little smaller than Levi, and I can't wait for him to stretch me further.

He crawls on top of me until he's hovering right above me.  One hand reaches down in between my legs to take hold of the plug.  I prepare for him to pull it out, but instead he twists it, making me gasp.

"You tied yourself up and everything for me," he observes, running a finger over the tie wrapped around my wrist.  "Usually I like to do it myself, but I have to admit, walking in to see you all tied up and waiting for me...."  He leans forward, his lips lightly trailing up my jaw to my ear.  "You drive me crazy, Eren."

I shiver at his hot breath on the shell of my ear.  His hands resume to wandering my body, and his lips trail down my neck and across my chest.  I watch him move lower and lower, watch his hands stroke down my sides to my hips.  His mouth reaches my painfully hard cock and he swirls his tongue around the shaft.  His fingers move to my ass to toy with the plug as he runs his tongue up the underside of my erection.

I groan loudly, my hands pulling at the tie.  When his fingers start to pull the plug from my entrance, I can't help the whine that escapes my lips.

"Please, Levi, I need you to fuck me," I beg of him.

His sharp grey eyes look up at me, and the sight of him with his mouth around the head of my cock and his lust filled eyes meeting mine is almost enough to make me come right then and there.  It doesn't help that he keeps twisting and turning plug in my ass.  His eyes are fully of amusement as he hums around my shaft, sending a shiver up my spine.  He shoves the plug back in and I gasp, throwing my head back.  His lips leave my length.

"Fuck you like this?" he questions, pulling the plug out again, only to thrust it back in.

"N-No," I stutter around heavy breaths.  "I want your cock.  Give me your cock, daddy.  Please."

"You want this?" he asks, straightening up and letting a hand fall to his now fully hard length, giving it a few lazy strokes.

"Yes, Levi, p-please," I beg, pulling at the restraint binding my wrists.

"You'll get what you want, you horny brat, but not yet," he purrs.  "No, I need time to properly enjoy this present you so kindly surprised me with."

...

"I probably shouldn't stay the night," I tell Levi, my words partially muffled by the pillow my face is pressed into.

His fingers, trailing in lazy, delicate patterns across my bare back hesitate for a moment.  I turn my head just enough to look up at him, sitting with his back against the headboard.  He's not looking at me though.  His other hand, his arm supported on one lifted knee, swirls his glass of scotch.  Apparently the small fridge in his room is fully stocked.

"Oh?" he finally questions, glancing down at me before taking another sip of his drink.

"I want to," I quickly reassure him, wrapping my arms around the pillow and propping myself up on my elbows, "but I'm sharing a room with my coworker, and he might get worried if I don't come back."

"You're sharing a room with that horse faced kid?  The one that was wearing a Shultz jersey?" he asks.

"Yeah, that's the guy.  He's so annoying.  I don't know why Marco is making us share a room," I grumble.

He glances over at the clock on the nightstand.  I look too.  It's not nearly as late as I thought it was, but I guess that's not surprising considering it was an early match.

"It's still pretty early," I observe.  I slowly sit up, then crawl into Levi's still naked lap.  He lowers his knee and watches me settle over his hips, looking slightly surprised.  I wrap my arms loosely around his neck, lazily trailing my fingers over his undercut and up into his hair.  "I can get away with staying for a few more hours."

He smirks, throwing back the rest of his drink before setting the empty glass on the night stand.  His arms wrap around my waist and he almost roughly pulls me against him, so my chest is pressed firmly up against his solid one.  His lips caress the skin at the base of my neck, and are soon replaced by his teeth as they graze up my neck to the underside of my chin.  I hum at the pleasure that tingles through my skin and down my spine, my arms tightening around his neck.

"You're ready to go another round already, brat?" he murmurs against my Adam's apple.

"Uh huh," I breathe, letting my eyes drift closed as his hands slip down to my still sore ass.

Levi chuckles, pulling back to look up at me with amusement in his eyes.  He signals for me to climb off of him with a slap to my ass.  I collapse back onto the mattress with a pout as he climbs off the bed.  My pout is quickly forgotten though when he stretches, the beautifully defined muscles of his back shifting beneath his pale skin.  He grabs his boxers off the floor and pulls them on.

"I'm going to order room service.  I'm fucking starving," he tells me, pulling on his jeans.  "Besides, I need a minute to recover before we go again."

"Maybe I should've brought you some Viagra as well, old man," I tease.

Levi throws my pants at me and they smack me in the face.  "Put your pants on.  Do you want anything?"

Levi orders room service, and I hide out of sight when the hotel employee arrives to deliver it.  I flip on the television once the door is closed behind the man.  The Avengers movie is on, and it looks like it just started, so Levi and I decide to watch that while we eat.  We're sitting on the floor, mind you, because _god forbid_ we get crumbs on the bed Levi will have to sleep on tonight.  It's not like we haven't gotten much dirtier things on it already or anything.

The movie isn't even over yet before I'm back in Levi's lap, his cock pounding into me.  Our moans and heavily breathing fill the room along with the sounds of things exploding on screen.  He growls dirty things in my ear and I breathe them right back.  His hands hold me possessively, controlling, and I eagerly hand over complete control to him as he flips us, my back against the rough carpet and Levi hovering over me.  I'm sure I'm going to get rug burns, but that's really the last thing on my mind right now.

One thing I've learned about Levi that actually surprised me the first time we slept together, something that I'm still trying to get used to, is how tender and gentle he is after the sex is over.  We usually go a couple- or many- rounds of rough, kinky sex where Levi exercises complete control over me.  For a few hours, Levi will totally and absolutely dominate me.  The sex is always rough, heated, completely driven by lust, even wild at times.  But once we've had our fun, it's like flipping a switch with Levi.  He called it 'aftercare' when I asked after that first night.  He says that with the kind of things he likes to do, it's important to comfort and care for the other person after.  He says I'll understand it and appreciate it more as we get into some rougher, kinkier things.  As much as it surprises me to see this gentle side of Levi after such rough displays, I find that I really like it.

Laying on my stomach on the bed, I sigh as Levi continues to run a melting ice cube from the freezer across the burning red marks on my upper back and shoulders.  I was right.  I did get rug burns.  But the ice sooths the mild sting.  With the fingers of his free hand, he gently rubs circles into my lower back, easing the muscles that will surely be sore tomorrow morning.  After a few minutes, when the ice becomes too melted to use, he discards it, and his hands continue their soft ministrations over my whole body.  He's careful around the few bruises that litter my skin, careful not to put too much pressure on them.

"When is your flight back tomorrow?" he asks me.  Even his voice takes on a softer tone during aftercare.

"Early, but not too early," I mumble into the pillow.  "Eleven something?"

He doesn't respond, continuing to massage the muscles of my lower back, working over my hips and thighs as well.  When he finishes, he climbs off the bed to start cleaning up the mess we made around the room.  I sit up and stretch.  I had felt so good before, you know, from all the sex, but now my body feels so relaxed and loose and I feel even better.  This aftercare stuff is like sex squared.  It just amplifies that post-sex high.

"If you're going back to your room tonight, then you should get going," he tells me.  "It's already pretty late."

I nod and hunt down my clothes, pulling them back on.  I step into the bathroom really quickly to try and fix my hair.  It never looks even close to being neat, but I need to at least make it not look like sex hair anymore.  That taken care of, I collect my toys and shove them into my backpack, tossing it over a shoulder before heading for the door.

"Good luck at the match tomorrow night.  I'll be cheering for you from my living room," I tease.

"Thanks, kid," he says.

I open the door, but then hesitate.  "Oh, and congrats on the win tonight.  You were amazing out there."

He actually turns to look at me then, and the smallest of smiles pulls at his lips.  "Thank you, Eren," he says.  "I'm glad you could come watch it."

"I am too!" I laugh, then start to leave the room.

"Eren?"

"Yes?" I answer quickly, peeking back into the room.

"Have a safe flight tomorrow.  I'll see you soon."

My smile grows even bigger.  "You too, Levi."

Shutting the door behind me, I head down the hall towards the elevators.  That smile has yet to leave my face, and I feel like I'm walking on the clouds.  I don't want to think what that was all about, because honestly it hurts my brain to try and figure out the meaning hidden behind Levi's words.  Right now, I'm in too good a mood to really think about that.  As I take the elevator down to my floor, I whistle to myself.  At this point, I don't even think sharing a room with Jean can put a damper on my mood.

...

"Sit your ass down, Jean!  You make a better door than a window, horseface," I growl a Jean.

"Fuck you, Jaeger," he retorts, but does indeed move out of the way, plopping down on the other couch with Marco.  "Sasha, quit hogging all the chips."

I tune out Sasha's complaining, and never actually pay attention long enough to figure out if the chip bowl made its way out of Sasha's hands.  The Scouts match started about ten minutes ago, and I want to watch it, not listen to my friends bicker at each other.  Connie, Sasha, Jean, and Marco were the only ones that could make it.  Annie and Bert are working tonight at the coffee shop, and Reiner is cramming for a test tomorrow morning.  Ymir is sick, so Krista decided to stay with her to take care of her.  Mikasa is here, but Armin had to stay late at the hospital.  He said he could be back before the match ends though.

I animatedly watch the match, my eyes fixed on Levi as he takes the ball down the field.  I watch the man skillfully dribble the ball around a halfback, then continue up the field.  He pulls a few more intricate moves and- okay, do you realize how weird it is to be watching a professional sports match on television, and to be watching an athlete, and realize that you've seen their dick?  And more than that, to have had their dick up your own ass?  Is it bad that that's sometimes all I can think about when I'm watching Scouts matches on television now?  I'm watching a professional athlete, a celebrity, an idol to millions of people, and I'm thinking when the next time I'll get to fuck them is.  Levi and I have been fooling around for over three weeks now, and it's still a hard concept to wrap my head around.

Jean and Connie get animated as well as Levi and Church reach the other end of the field, and I manage to focus more on what's happening in the match instead of Levi's dick.  The ball dances between the two of them, Jinn soon being brought into the mix.  Then he passes it back to Shultz, who passes it across to Bozado.  The ball changes feet so rapidly and so smoothly, it's like watching a well oiled machine.  The fullbacks can't keep up, and when Church takes a sudden shot on goal, it sails right over the head of a defender and past the outstretched fingers of the goal keeper.

Everyone cheers.  Even Mikasa joins in with the cheering, Church being her favorite player, after all.  He always scores plenty of goals throughout the season, but it's usually Levi that's making the attempts.  That is his position, after all, since he's the best at making goals.  After a brief celebration, play resumes.  There's only a few minutes left in the half, and it soon comes to an end, the score one to zero Scouts.

"Hey, Connie, what are the standings so far?" I ask as the half-time show drags on.  Connie has always been a sports fanatic, going so far as to always keep track of wins and losses for the whole league.  At any one point in the season, he could tell you the standings of every single team in the league.

"Well, Stohess is leading the entire league," Connie recites from memory, "but not by much.  The Scouts are only trailing by two matches, and with three left for both Stohess and Trost including this match they're playing now, the Scouts could take the lead.  They would have to win all three matches and Stohess would have to lose all three of theirs.  Not likely though, considering they are playing each other next week."

"Ackerman has been on a roll though," Jean points out.  "If he does as well as he has been doing, he could lead the Scouts to a victory next week."

"I agree," I say.  "His goal per match average has gone up these last few weeks.  And the same can be said for Zacharias.  He's been doing really well too, his blocks-to-goals ratio going up drastically.  As long as those trends continue, we have a decent chance of beating Stohess.  Zacharias just needs to get his hands on the ball and Ackerman needs to net at least one goal."

"You guys are forgetting about that left winger for Stohess," Marco suddenly pipes in.  We all look at him in shock.  He usually doesn't contribute anything to our sports talks, instead sitting back with everyone else to just listen.  "He played in the exhibition match yesterday with Ackerman.  He's a rookie this year, and he's totally taken off these last few weeks.  He's scoring more goals than their striker."

We continue to stare at Marco, silence enveloping the room, with the exception of the commercials playing on the television.  But soon the shock fades and we all get into a heated debate on the chances for Trost beating Stohess in next week's match.

"Guys, guys," Sasha interrupts.  "Does it really matter if we beat Stohess next week?  The Scouts are still second in the entire league.  Even if they lose every single match from here on out, which they won't considering the other teams they'll be going up against, they'll still make it into the playoffs, right?"

"Yeah, they will," Connie says, "but how cool would it be to come out on top of Stohess?  They've been annihilating everyone these last few seasons.  They've entered the playoffs as the top team four times out of the last five seasons.  This is the first year anyone has even been close to their record, let alone in a position to beat it with only three weeks left in the season."

"Guys, the match is back on," Mikasa points out, and everyone's attention returns to the screen where Siss and Ness are working to overwhelm a winger.  It works, and they shoot the ball up to Berner in the middle of the field.  But the conversation doesn't stop, despite that all our eyes are glued to the television.

"Realistically speaking though, what are the Scouts chances?" Marco argues.  "Like I want to hear an actual percentage.  It's not going to be high.  Even if we do manage to beat them- which could happen, I'm not denying that- but even if we do beat them, what is the likelihood that they'll lose all of their other matches?  Last week they beat Karanese seven to one.  _Seven_ , guys.  That doesn't happen in soccer.  And look, we're struggling to hold our one goal lead over Karanese right now."

"Come on Marco!" I laugh.  "Don't be such a pooper and have faith in your team!  How are you letting him talk about the Scouts like this, Jean?"

"That's a good question, Eren," Jean says, shooting a glare at his boyfriend.

Marco holds his hands up in defeat.  "Just stating facts."

"We don't want to talk about those facts," Connie laughs.

"Wow, Connie?  Not wanting to talk about facts?  Are you feeling okay, pookie?" Sasha coos, putting a hand on Connie's forehead.

I'm busting a gut, as is Jean.  Even Mikasa is giggling.  Connie turns ten shades of red and starts grumbling.  All of our focuses immediately shift to the television though when Shultz' sneak attack on a halfback works and he races up the field with the ball completely unchallenged.  Connie and I are on our feet, and Jean would be too if Marco hadn't taken up residence in his lap.

"Run!" Connie shouts.  "Run faster, you bastard!  You've got a fullback on your tail!"

Shultz passes the ball up to Church, in a move that was _so_ close to being off sides.  In fact, I'm pretty sure it was.  But the refs don't see it, and no call is made.  Church maneuvers around the other fullback, then passes the ball to Levi.  It's a bad pass though, and Levi has to race a halfback for it.  The two men charge at each other, and both dive for the ball at the same time.  Levi manages to get his foot on it first and punches it out in Bozado's direction.  Levi and the halfback collide in a tangle of limbs as Bozado catches the ball with his knee and starts to dribble it down the field.

Connie and I take our seats again.  Karanese managed to break the Scouts' play, so now the excitement has died down.  The cameras follow Bozado for a half a second, but then the whistle is blowing and they pan back to where Levi and the halfback are still trying to detangle themselves.  The halfback breaks away from Levi and rolls on the ground, clutching at his knee.  I roll my eyes at the faker.  Levi even rolls his eyes too, an action clearly caught on camera, and it makes me laugh out loud.

My laughter instantly dies though when Levi attempts to stand, then falls back to his hands and knees with wide eyes.  My own eyes are wide as well when his face suddenly contorts in an expression of pain before he lowers his forehead to the grass, his hands clenched into fists.

"Oh my god," Jean breathes.  "Ackerman isn't a faker.  I've never seen him fake in my life.  He's legitimately hurt."

"Oh fuck, he can't get hurt now!  We're almost to the playoffs!" Connie says, dry washing his face with his hands.

I can't say anything, I can't even breathe.  My eyes are glued to the television screen as a handful of people from the Scouts' sideline race out onto the field.  Erwin and Pixis are among them.  The group reaches Levi and he slowly rolls onto his back, an arm draped over his eyes, hiding his look of pain from me.  I suddenly wish more than anything that I was out there with him, taking his hand and trying to sooth him.  But how silly is that?  We're just fuck buddies, right?  Why would he even want me out there with him?  That's something reserved for actual couples in actual relationships with actual feelings for each other.  But those feelings are there, even though they're most likely one sided, and as much as I want to deny them.

I can barely see Levi through the group of people surrounding him.  One older man is talking to him, feeling around on his right leg.  He gets to Levi's ankle and Levi grimaces with a nod.  So it's his ankle.  Fuck, this isn't good.

"So..." Mikasa says, interrupting the dead silence that had settled in the room.  "What are the Scouts' chances of beating Stohess now?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the disappointing lack of actual sex scenes in this chapter... I got it all built up and then got hit with major writers block, and I realized that the only way to get past it was to just skip the sex scene. So I'm sorry guys :/ But I promise a lot of hot kinky sex in the future :)


	16. Who Is He?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I came on AO3 to update, I noticed that this little ficcy of mine has reached 1000 kudos XO So I'll take a second to thank every one of you that stumbled upon this work of mine and liked it enough to click that little heart on the bottom of the page. Trust me, I read every single name every morning when AO3 sends me that email with new kudos, and I appreciate every single one of you X3 Also thank you everyone that's left a comment. They always make my day X3

**Eren**

It could be classified as torture, waiting for the match to finish and for my friends to clear out of the apartment.  I want to call Levi, even though I am ninety-nine percent certain that he doesn't have his phone on him, but I don't want all these blockheads to know that I have his number.  That would imply that I'm on friendly terms with him, and it'll bring up too many questions.  I wish I had Isabel's number.  I'm sure she'll be updated in real time on what's happening with Levi.  Erwin might too, but I only have his office phone number and even if I did have his cell number, I doubt he has his phone on him either anyway.  I just wish there was some way I could be kept in the loop.

Levi was led off the field, and arm each over Erwin's and the athletic trainer's shoulders.  If the situation weren't so serious, I think I would've laughed at the fact that both men had to bend down quite a bit to match Levi's height.  The announcer made a handful of comments throughout the rest of the match about Levi's condition, but nothing was certain.  All he could tell us was that it was confirmed that Levi's right ankle was injured, but to what extent, no one knows yet.  About halfway through the second half, the announcer informed us that Erwin stated Levi will not return to the match, and that he's been taken to go get x-rays.

I'm stunned.  I've never seen Levi get hurt before, in all my years of watching him play on television.  I think the shock is compounded by the fact that we have a personal connection.  We may not be in any kind of relationship other than my being his booty call, but I do care for him and his wellbeing.  I think what's getting to me the most was the look of pain on Levi's face as he hopped on one foot off the field.  I've never seen such an expression on him.  He looked like he was trying to hide it, so the fact that I could still see it scares me.  How bad is this injury?  How long will he be out for?  If he's out for the rest of the season, what are the Scouts' chances during the playoffs?  Their backup striker is decent, but no one can ever replace Levi.

The match _finally_ ends with a winning score of one to nothing, and everyone slowly trickles out of the apartment.  Armin had arrived not long after play resumed following Levi's injury.  He settles at the table to work on homework as Mikasa heads into the kitchen to start making something to eat for dinner.  I take that opportunity to head into my bedroom and shut the door.  Pulling out my cell phone, I call Levi's number, then flop back onto my bed.  I'm not expecting him to pick it up, but I have to at least try.

It rings and rings, and I'm just about to hang up when someone actually answers.

_"Hello?"_

I sit up quickly, surprised to hear a voice on the other end of the line.  It's not Levi's voice, I know that for sure, but I can't quite tell who's voice it is.

"Uh... hi....  Uhm, who is this?" I question nervously, tugging on the comforter beneath me.

_"This is Farlan.  I heard Levi's phone ringing in his locker.  The caller ID just says 'Shitty Brat', so who are you?"_

I laugh.  I can't help it.  Why does that not surprise me?  "This is Eren.  Eren Jaeger," I say.  I wonder if he would even recognize my name, or if I should elaborate.  I've only talked to him a handful of times, so it wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't remember my name.  I'm about to explain further who I am when he cuts me off.

 _"Oh yes, that photographer that's been hanging around Levi.  My wife talks about you a lot,"_ he says.  Oh right, Isabel is married to Farlan.  _"I take it you watched the match?"_

"Yeah, that's actually why I called," I say, my mood darkening again, remembering the look of pain that had been on Levi's face.  "I wasn't expecting anyone to answer my call, but I was wondering how Levi is doing?  Have you heard anything?"

 _"Erwin was keeping us updated through the match.  He's on his way to go check him out now,"_ Farlan replies.  He hesitates, then sighs.  _"Look kid, I'm going to give you my wife's cell number.  She's with Levi now, so she knows a lot more than I do.  But, I'm not sure she'll be able to tell you anything.  You're not family, and you're not part of the team, so she might not be able to give you much.  Please don't bug her, and don't make me regret giving you her number.  Sorry, kid."_

"It's okay," I murmur, laying back down on the bed and rubbing at my eyes.  I know he didn't mean anything by his words, but they served to further drive in the point that Levi and I aren't in any kind of relationship.  I'm not his significant other.  I don't even think I can call myself his lover.  That implies too strong of a relationship.  How will he react if he finds out I'm trying so hard to find out how he is?  Will he tell Isabel not to tell me anything?  Will he tell me to get lost?

These questions are racing around in my head as I jot down Isabel's number as Farlan reads it off.  I hang up with him, then quickly dial those seven digits before I can convince myself not to bother.  Holding the phone to my ear, I nervously play with the ends of my pillow case next to my head.  My heart feels like it's about to punch through my chest, both in nervousness over Levi's condition and also in anxiety over how this call is going to go.

 _"Hello?"_ Isabel's kind voice answers after a few rings.

"Hi Isabel.  This is Eren Jaeger.  The photogra-"

 _"I know who you are, dear,"_ she says, and I can hear the smile in her voice.  I can also hear the tension, the worry.  It makes me even more nervous about how Levi is doing.  _"I'm sure you're calling about Levi.  How did you get my number?"_

"Uhm, I tried calling Levi's cell, but Farlan answered and he gave me your number," I tell her nervously.  "I'm sorry if this is out of line-"

 _"No, no, of course not, dear,"_ she cuts me off.  _"Levi was just looked over by the Scouts' physician and right now we're waiting for him to return with the x-rays.  I'm not really allowed to tell you anything at this time, honey.  I'm sorry.  I'd have to ask Levi how much he wants you to know-"_

_"Ask Levi what?  Who the fuck are you talking to?"_

My breath catches.  That was definitely Levi's voice in the background.  When Isabel speaks next, her voice is muffled, as if she's covering the phone, but I can still hear her.

_"It's your cutie.  He's worried about you."_

I cringe.  His cutie?  I'm afraid to hear Levi's reaction to that.  It's dead silent for a little while, save for the light thrum of the background noise, but then Levi speaks again.  I have to strain to hear what he says.

_"Give me the phone."_

Isabel doesn't say a single word, and after a little bit of a rustle, Levi's voice comes through the phone loud and clear.

 _"What's up, brat?  What are you bugging my agent for?"_ he asks.  His tone isn't annoyed or bothered, and I can't even describe the relief that gives me.

"I just wanted to know how you were doing," I answer honestly.  "I saw the match on TV.  It didn't look good...."

 _"That fucking shitstain nearly broke my ankle,"_ he growls.  _"But I'll be fine.  The x-rays haven't come back yet, but the doctor is pretty sure it's just a sprain.  He's saying I should be back on the field the match after next.  It could've been worse."_

"That's good to hear," I reply.  The guys will be relieved to hear that Levi's only projected to sit out one match.  Although how I'm going to bring that up without revealing that I talked to him over the phone, I don't know.  "You're okay though?  Does it hurt?"

 _"Of course it fucking hurts,"_ he retorts.  _"But you don't need to worry about me, kid.  I'm tough.  I can handle it."_

"Okay," I reply with a genuine smile.  I feel so much better now, knowing that Levi will be okay, and that his injury isn't nearly as bad as it could've been.  I'm also glad that I actually got to talk to him.  When I first picked up my phone, I wasn't expecting to talk to anyone at all, especially not Levi himself.  "Uhm, when will I get to see you again?"

There's a long pause, and I start to regret my decision to ask that question when Levi answers.  His voice is hushed, as if he's trying to keep his answer as private as possible.  _"Don't get clingy on me, brat.  But soon.  I'll text you."_

"Okay, sorry," I reply.

 _"Tch.  Don't apologize.  Now go do your homework, or something,"_ he says.

I exhale dramatically.  "Fiiine."

He chuckles.  _"Bye, Eren."_

"Bye."

...

I'm cursing my disease and it's horrid timing by the time seven o'clock on Thursday night rolls around.  It's the home match against Stohess tonight.  I haven't talked to Levi since after the match on Sunday with the exception of one quick text message conversation yesterday when he asked me if I was going to be at the match tonight.  I replied that of course I would be.  When I ended up in the hospital for a transfusion this afternoon, I almost texted him that I wouldn't be able to make it.  But I didn't.  I was afraid to.  What excuse could I supply?  So it came to no surprise that Levi sent me a text wondering where I am.  I haven't replied to it.  I was lucky enough to be released from the hospital only about twenty minutes after the start of the match.  After Hanji released me, I sent a quick text to Levi to let him know that I got caught up in something but that I was on my way now.  It still took me another forty-five minutes though to reach the stadium on my bike.  I'm sure it's already past halftime by now, but I still hurry to the stadium.

I'm a little apprehensive about this match, because it seemed very unlikely that we would win _before_ Levi got hurt.  But now that he's sitting out this match with an injury, the chances are even worse.  Impossible, most likely.  I don't say any of this to him though, deciding to keep it to myself.  As I run towards the gate, my head feels light headed from the recent transfusion coupled with the last forty-five minutes of hard bike riding.  When I flash my pass at the gate security though, a burly man takes hold of my upper arm as I try to hurry passed him.  Before I can retort, he brings a radio up to his mouth.

"That photographer from Trost Daily is here," the security guard says into the radio.

My confusion kills any retort that had been building on my tongue.  I wait for an agonizingly long, confusing moment until there is a reply.

 _"Copy that.  On my way,"_ a voice crackles over the radio.

The security guard releases my arm with a commanded, "Wait here."

"What am I waiting for?"

He doesn't answer, but just then, a skinny dude with a patch of scruff on his chin and upper lip rounds the corner, jogging towards me.  He stops and takes a second to catch his breath before speaking.

"You're Eren Jeager, from Trost Daily?" he asks me.

I nod.  "What's going on?  Am I in trouble?"

He laughs, turning on his heels and motioning for me to follow him.  "No, of course not sir.  You've been invited to join the Scouts on their sideline.  I'll be escorting you there."

What?  I know immediately who invited me, but why?  Is it because he's on the sidelines for this match as well, so he wants me to join him?  I try not to question it too much as the skinny dude walks quickly towards the Scouts' sideline.  I struggle to keep up, still out of breath and light headed.  When we reach the sideline, I see Erwin quickly pacing up the sidelines, calling instructions out to the field.  Pixis and Dok are doing the same thing to their respective ends of the field.  The backup players huddle around the bench, watching the match and shouting their encouragements.  I quickly find Levi, standing a little bit away from everyone else.  His arms are crossed tightly over his chest and he's frowning as he watches the match progress.  He's wearing a deep green zip up hoodie with the Scouts' symbol on the back, and his soccer shorts.  His right foot is strapped into a thick black boot.  I hurry up to his side.

He glances over at me and briefly looks me over.  "About time you showed up.  You look like shit."

"Uh, I-"

"Is that a hospital tag around your wrist?"

I look down to see that, sure enough, the bright orange plastic wristband is still sitting there.  Shit, I totally forgot about it.  I should've asked Hanji to cut it off before I left.  A cotton ball is also still taped to the inside of my elbow, but I can't take that off yet.  I don't want to release the pressure and end up having to go back to the hospital because it starts bleeding again.  It's then that I realize I don't have a jacket, and that it's pretty cold.  I hold my camera- thank god I had thought to grab it before letting Armin take me to the hospital after I had gotten that bloody nose- close to my chest, as if that could help warm me up.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine," I reply automatically.  There's no point in lying now, when it's obvious I was just in the hospital.

I see his eyes scan the ugly bruise forming around where the needle for the transfusion punctured my skin, then to the other smaller bruises littering my skin.  He looks so suspicious that it frightens me.  What's going though his head?  When he opens his mouth, I know exactly what he's going to ask, and I stop him before he gets the chance to ask it.

"Please don't," I say quietly, not looking at him.  "I don't want to talk about it.  I'm fine. I promise."

He just stares at me a long moment, but he doesn't say anything.  I don't miss the slight worry in his expression though.

"How are you guys doing?" I ask, trying to change the subject before he decides to question me anyway.  A shiver wracks through my body.

He unzips his jacket and shrugs it off, his eyes remaining on the field.  "Better than can be expected.  Mike's keeping the match from turning too ugly, but Marlo is falling far short of what's needed to get ahead."

Levi drapes the jacket over my shoulders.  It's so warm, and his scent lingers on it heavily, making me huddle into it immediately.  But I try to protest anyway, only to get shot down by a simple look.  So instead, I pull the hoodie close around me and ask, "Marlo?"

"Freudenberg.  My backup," he replies.

I look out to the field, trying to find the unfamiliar face.  I wasn't really paying attention to who replaced Levi last weekend when he left the match.  I lift my view finder to my eye and zoom way in.  I soon find the kid.  The number seventeen is splayed across his jersey.  He has black hair, cut in an awkward bowl cut, but whatever.  He looks really young.  Like, my age young.

"He's a rookie this year," Levi replies before I can even ask.  "Erwin decided to draft me a backup player this year, and I guess it's a good thing he did."

I snap a number of pictures of him, as well as some of the other players before lowering my camera.  It's then, for the first time since I got there, that I actually think to check the score.  I cringe, but honestly, it could be worse, as Levi said.  Three to zero.  And it's about ten minutes into the second half.

"How does it feel to be watching the match from the sidelines?" I question out of curiosity.

His frown grows as he crosses his arms tightly over his chest.  I notice then that he is wearing his jersey, which had been hidden underneath the hoodie.  This is harder for him than I thought.  "It sucks.  But complaining isn't going to do much."

"How do you feel, by the way?" I ask.  I'm starting to feel like a pestering boyfriend, and I shake that feeling away.  Fuck, I have to stop thinking like that.  There's nothing special going on between us, nor will there ever be.

"It feels fine.  It's healing better than I could've hoped for, or so my doctors say.  I'll be ready to play next Thursday," he replies.

I nod and decide not to say anything else.  We don't exchange much conversation throughout the rest of the match.  Levi shouts at that Marlo kid a few times, and during timeouts, he'll go join the huddle.  I'll have to admit that it's pretty cool to be here on the sidelines with the team during a match.  Sure, I've been here many times during the practices, but practices and matches are so different.  The energy, even when a losing score flashes across the board, is intense.

When the match ends with a score of four to one, Levi doesn't invite me to come home with him, but honestly I wasn't expecting him to.  He thanks me for keeping him company on the sidelines, adding with heavy sarcasm 'once I showed up, that is'.  I roll my eyes at him and we part ways, me heading for my bike and him meeting up with Farlan to take him home.  Farlan had offered to give me a ride home as well, but as much as I wanted to take him up on that offer, I can't leave my bike here.

I leave the stadium in much higher spirits than when I arrived.  Despite all the bad that's been happening recently, I can't help but feel that things will start looking up soon.  Hopefully.

...

"Eren."  The quiet voice echoes through my subconscious, and coupled with the shake of my shoulder, pulls me from my sleep.  "Eren wake up."

I roll over onto my back with a groan.  Rubbing my eyes to clear them from the last dregs of sleep, I peer blearily up at Armin hovering over my bed, then glance over to my alarm clock.  **7:04AM**.

"Armiiiin," I groan, dropping my head back into the pillows and throwing an arm over my eyes.  "I still have an hour until I need to be up."

"Eren, you need to see this," he tells me, and something crinkles in front of my face.  I pull my arm from my eyes to see that it's a newspaper.  Not Trost Daily, but a local competitor.  It's flipped open to a specific article, and the pictures that greet me make me sit up and take it from Armin.

' _Who Is He?_ ' is the title splayed across the top of the article in big, bold print.  Beneath it are two pictures.  The first is me standing with Levi on the sidelines of the Scouts match last night, wearing his jacket, and the other is a slightly grainy picture of Levi slipping me his hotel key card at the exhibition match in Quebec.  I can't breathe for a moment, until I realize that you can't see the key card.  It just looks like we're shaking hands.  But Levi's mouth is open in conversation, and from the expressions on our faces it's clear that we're pretty friendly with each other.  It's clear that I'm not just a fan meeting my idol.

But still.  This isn't good.  I quickly read the article, and it just gets worse from there.

_'Who is he?  That is a good question.  This young photographer appears to be close with center forward of the Trost Scouts, Levi Ackerman, but what exactly is the extent of their relationship?  Levi Ackerman has always been closed off and secretive, and has never appeared to connect with anyone outside of the professional league soccer team.  So who is this young reporter that has seemingly broken through Ackerman's barriers?  And why has Ackerman let a member of the press, of all people, grow close with him?  Is this just an unconventional friendship, or is there something hidden here?'_

The article goes on to try and answer these questions with baseless assumptions and speculations.  They don't outright guess that we have a physical or intimate relationship.  It's more questioning who I am and how I became so close to Levi.  But either way, this isn't good.  What is Levi going to think when he sees this?  Because he definitely will see this.  Will things end between us?  Will he start to push me away?  These suspicions can't be good for his image, so what will he do?

I hand the newspaper back to Armin and roll over to face the wall.

"Eren?  What's going on between you and Ackerman?  I didn't realize that you guys were friends," he says.  "I mean, I know he invited you to practices, and I know we ran into him at the art show that one time, but I didn't realize it went further than that."

"It doesn't," I reply quickly.  "There is no relationship.  This article is all bullshit.  They're trying to make something out of nothing."

"Oh, okay," Armin says, and thank god he leaves it at that.

My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts and fears.  I'm terrified that Levi will start pushing me away.  I shouldn't have gotten so attached to him, but I did, and it's too late to go back and change that now.  As soon as he told me that he couldn't commit to me, I should've forced all feelings out of our relationship.  But I didn't, and now I have feelings for the man, feelings that I wish weren't there, feelings that I wish would just go away, because honestly, what could come from them?  Nothing.  And now he's going to force me out of his life and I'm going to be left with nothing but these feelings.

 

**Levi**

My eyes rake over the beautiful sight before my eyes.  My heart is racing, my palms sweaty, my breathing rough and uneven.  If only this damn brat knew what he did to me.  I admire my handiwork again, taking a step back from the stunning body laid out before me.

Eren is propped up on his knees on my bed, that perfect ass in the air.  Thick ropes wrap around his body, binding his arms to his side and locking his wrists together at the small of his back.  The knots and loops are all perfect, a work of art, and although I've tied them many times on many different people, I've never seen them on such a beautiful canvas before.  Against Eren's tan skin, the black ropes and leather straps are perfect.  I could sit back and admire my work all day long, but at the same time I want nothing more than to ravage the boy beneath my knots.  That black leather collar sits snug around his neck, and I wish that he could wear it all the time as a sign that he is mine, that his ass has been claimed by me and only me.  A blindfold hides his stunning green eyes from me, but not the intense red color dusting his cheeks all the way up to his ears.  Those perfect lips are parted with his heavy panting.  Sweet sheens on his forehead.  He looks absolutely delectable, and I am a ravenous beast standing over a fresh catch.

Without a sound, I cross closer to the bed and lightly skim my fingers up the back of Eren's thighs, not bothering to avoid the ropes crossing the tanned skin.  Eren shivers, his toes curling and a soft breathy moan leaving those lips.  My fingers make their way to his ass as I climb up onto the bed behind him, and his breathing grows heavier.

"You look so perfect like this," I breathe into the skin of his lower back.

His fingers twitch, one reaching to touch my cheek.  I place a soft kiss to the palm of his hand, then lick up his finger, causing another shiver to wrack through his body.  My hands skim up Eren's sides as I settle right behind him.  My hips, still clothed in my black jeans, press flush up against Eren's ass as I bow over his supple body.  He ruts his hips back into mine, a needy plea escaping his lips.

"Please, Levi..."

The way my name rolls off his tongue, full of lust and need, makes my jeans suddenly feel much too tight.  I hum against a shoulder blade, my fingers curling around a handful of rope on either side and pulling him roughly back into me.

"Please what?  What do you want me to do to you, Eren?" I ask, releasing the ropes so I can run my hands down his toned stomach and to the throbbing organ hanging heavy between his legs.  I trace the thin band of the cock ring that circles the base of his shaft and he moans into the pillows.

"Please fuck me," he begs.  "I need your cock inside me.  I need you to claim me.  Fuck me hard and deep.  Mark me and make me yours.  Please, daddy."

I can't explain how him calling me that gets me so excited, but _fuck_ it really does.  I have a lot of kinks, but I never realized I had a daddy kink until I met this brat.  It makes me want to instantly give in to his request.  I take hold of the ropes binding his wrists and with one pull they fall loose.  I quickly flip him onto his back.  His legs automatically fall open and I, just as automatically, settle between them.  I remove his arms from their bindings and lift them above his head.  I rebind his forearms together and loop the rope through the headboard before tying it back around his wrists.  His breathing is jagged and rough, and he lifts his hips to grind his cock against my still clothed one.  He hisses at the friction, and I plant a firm hand on his hip, forcing them back down onto the mattress.

"You'll get your friction when daddy says it's okay," I purr against the shell of his ear.  "You better be a good boy and listen, or daddy won't give you what you want."

Eren nods, turning his head and licking at my own ear.  I pull back slightly to plant a soft kiss on the corner of his lips.  He whimpers, turning his head to try and get a real kiss, but I pull back and start to unbutton my jeans.  I could breathe a sigh of relief when my straining cock is released from its tight confines.  Spreading a generous amount of lube over my cock, I reach between Eren's legs to remove the plug from his hole.  Eren gasps at the sudden emptiness, but it turns into a throaty moan when I push his legs up to his chest and align my cock with his entrance.

"Fuck me, Levi," he begs, his voice a breathy whimper.  "Fill me with that thick cock.  I _need_ it."

I reach up and slowly pull the blindfold down to reveal those deep green eyes.  The pure desire and lust shining in those beautiful eyes stuns me.  Carnal need wells up inside me, more so than was already there, if even possible, and I lean forward to claim those soft lips with my own.  I don't kiss, so what drives me to press my lips to his in a deep, passionate kiss is beyond me.  But right now, I don't really give a fuck as I start to push into that tight-

The shrill ringing of my cell phone rips me violently from my dream, and with a number of expletives flowing from my lips, I roll over and grope for the device on my nightstand.  I try to ignore my raging hard on and the flutter in my chest from such a dream as I force my eyes open.  My hand finds the phone and I pick it up, reading the caller ID.  **Commander Eyebrows**.  This better be fucking important considering the dream he just woke me from.  Like if there isn't a giant fucking meteor plummeting towards Earth, I will rip those fucking eyebrows off his face and shove them so far up his ass he'll be shitting hairy shits for a month.

"What the fuck do you want?" I snap as I answer the phone.  Fuck, he couldn't have waited like ten more minutes to call me?  I don't think I've ever felt so sexually frustrated in my entire life, and it was just a dream.

 _"Good morning to you too, Levi,"_ is his response.

"Shove your 'good morning' up your ass and tell me why you're calling at this god forsaken hour.  You realize most people are still asleep at this time right?"

 _"You do realize that it's almost nine, right?  Practice starts in an hour,"_ he tells me.

I pull my phone away from my ear to see that it is in fact a few minutes until nine.  Well fuck.  Why didn't my alarm go off?

"What are you calling me for, Commander Eyebrows?"

 _"Since I woke you up, I take it you haven't read today's issue of The Trost Journal,"_ he accurately observes.  _"Pick up a copy on your way to my office and read the article on page four.  I've already called your agent.  We all need to talk."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of you have been wondering when the big reveal of Eren's hemophilia will happen, so I'm just going to state this here to hopefully sate everyone's curiosity :3 It is coming up relatively soon, maybe in the next handful of chapters. Although I think I may rewrite it because I didn't expect you guys to get so excited about it and as it is now, I'm afraid it'll be very anti-climactic 눈n눈 So anyways, yeah it won't be for a few more chapters. And the same goes for when the real emotional bond will click between these two dorks, although that will be even later. Sorry for such a slow romantic build. They're just so stubborn ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> You can also find me on [Tumblr](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/) :) And I'm tracking the tag "fic: fotp"


	17. Trost Coach Proposes a Plan!

**Levi**

With that god damn fucking article crumpled in my fist, I hobble so fucking gracefully towards Trost Stadium and Erwin's office.  I wasted no time rolling out of bed, so it's still early enough that none of the rest of the team is at the stadium yet.  I saw both Erwin's and Isabel's cars in the parking lot when I pulled in, so I know I'm the last to arrive of the three of us.

When I reach the nondescript white door, I throw it open.  The door hits the wall and bounces back, but I'm already through it and slamming it shut behind me.

Why am I so mad?  The thought hits me suddenly, as I look upon the calm faces of Erwin and Isabel.  What is there to be mad about?  The article doesn't come right out and say that they suspect Eren and I are in a romantic relationship.  They don't suspect that anything sexual or intimate is happening between us.  It appears to just be wondering how I became so close with someone that would typically be described as 'the enemy'.

"I take it _this_ is the article you wanted me to read?  The article you want to talk with me and my agent about?" I question, slapping the folded paper down onto his desk and dropping down into the chair next to Isabel.

"It is," Erwin says, only glancing at the paper.  "I know the article is far from outing you, but I've had my suspicions for a while about how close you and that boy-"

"Eren," I snap.  "His name is Eren, and you have no proof of anything.  And until you show me proof, I will deny any accusations you have."

Erwin exhales sharply and pinches the bridge of his nose for a brief moment before his piercing blue eyes shoot up to meet mine.  "It's not an accusation.  I'm not _accusing_ you of anything.  So what if you're gay?  So what if you're having a fling with a reporter?  All I care about is that you don't ruin your name and reputation.  You do whatever you want with the boy- excuse me, with _Eren_ \- so long as you keep it out of the papers," he commands.

"Do you think I wanted this to end up in the papers?" I retort, leaning forward to match his intense glare with my own.  "I understand that it's dangerous to fuck around with a reporter, but Isabel and I have already considered that.  He signed a confidentiality agreement.  He won't out me.  This article isn't his doing."

"I'm glad that you are aware of the dangers of your interest, but that doesn't change the fact that the two of you were photographed together, and that it ended up in the news.  Do what you two will behind closed doors, but if you continue to be seen together in public, this will only escalate until they _are_ suspecting you of being gay.  Keep your private life private, Levi.  Because if this gets out, it will ruin you."

"I am fully aware of that, Commander Eyebrows.  We already had this talk three weeks ago, remember?"

"Yes," he snaps, slamming a hand down on the top of his desk.  "Yes, I do remember, do you?  Because as I recall it, I told you to be _careful_.  This isn't careful, Levi."  He holds up the paper, the two side by side photographs exhibit one in his case.

I lean back in the chair, crossing my arms over my chest.  I know now that inviting Eren to the sidelines of last night's match was a risky move, but it's too late to freak out about it now.  It already happened.  No going back and changing it.  I'll just have to be more careful in the future.

Isabel has been quiet through this whole argument, and it doesn't appear that she's going to speak up any time soon.

"If you dragged me into this office just to lecture me on my own private life, then I think we're done here.  If there's something else you want to say, you better fucking say it, Eyebrows, because I'm leaving," I tell him, my voice hard as I get to my feet.

"Sit back down, Levi.  I'm not done with you," he commands, his tone not allowing any argument.  But I don't sit down.  I rebel, standing in front of his desk with my arms still folded tightly across my chest.  "Your agent and I discussed a few solutions to remedy the situation, and to ease the possible doubts of the public and the press.  We decided on one, and we're ready to move forward with this plan if you agree.  And if you know what's good for you, you will agree."

The way his tone basically threatens me to agree leads me to believe that I'm not going to like this idea.  But I sit back down anyway, glancing between Erwin and Isabel.  I don't really see any choice in the matter other than to agree with whatever this plan is.

"Alright, I'll bite," I tell him.  "What is this brilliant plan of yours?"

Erwin just gestures to Isabel with his chin.  I turn to face her as she does the same.  I can see the worry in her eyes, like she's preparing to fight with me to get me to accept this plan.  How bad could it possibly be?

"Before you get pissy with me, we're not saying that you need to stop seeing Eren.  You can continue to be with him as long as you keep it secret and behind closed doors.  I've said it before and I'll say it again: that boy is good for you.  That being said, we were thinking that we should arrange a fake relationship between you and another person of relatively high status.  Like a celebrity hook-up, I guess."  She must see the rejection in my eyes, my absolute disdain for this plan, because she hurriedly continues.  "It would be a fake relationship, but only us three and her would know that it's fake.  You'll be free to be with Eren, you just have to make regular public appearances with whoever this woman ends up being.  This relationship doesn't even have to last too long.  You just need to convince the public and the press that you're in an intimate relationship with a woman.  You need to convince them that you're straight."

I exhale sharply, leaning forward to rest my elbows on my knees and my face in my hands.  "Why does any of this fucking matter?  So what if I like cock?  Why should that even be an issue?  Does that suddenly make me a shitty soccer player?  Why should the fact that I'm gay ruin my career?" I demand in anger.  Why is society so fucked up, is what I'm really asking.

"It shouldn't," Isabel answers softly, and I feel her hand on my shoulder.  "But unfortunately the rest of the world isn't as okay with it as we are.  All Erwin and I ask is that you keep it secret for at least the rest of the season.  If you want to come out after the MLS Cup, or whenever the Scouts are eliminated from the playoffs, that's fine with us."

"I'll deal with the repercussions from Zackly myself if you make that choice," Erwin says.  "And know that I'll do whatever I can to keep you on the team, even if you do come out of the closet.  I'll fight for you, Levi, because you're the best striker I've ever had the opportunity to coach, and because I see you as a good friend, and I hate that you have to go through this."

I'm silent for a long minute, not sure how to respond to the support both Erwin and Isabel are showing me.  Things may have gotten heated between Erwin and I when I first got here, but it's true that we've always been close, and I'm grateful for his friendship and support.

After a long, tense silence, I finally nod.  What's the worst that can happen, right?  Eren might not be very happy with my fake relationship, but I don't plan on letting him go so easily.  Damn straight I'll keep seeing Eren, even if I have to put on this charade.  They can't stop me from being with him.  I have the right to fuck whoever I want to fuck.  Well, as long as it's legal....

"Fine," I murmur.  "I'll go along with this, but I'm not going to stop seeing Eren."

"We're not asking you to, honey," Isabel smiles.  "Should we invite him here so that we can discuss this with him?  If you're going to go through with this, we'll need him to understand exactly what's going on, and we'll need his full cooperation."

"No, I'll talk to him in private.  This is something we need to discuss between the two of us," I quickly reply.

"Okay," Isabel nods, then turns to Erwin.  "Arrange for a press conference tonight.  The quicker we get on camera and disprove these suspicions, the better."

I exhale sharply.  This is all going so fast, but Isabel is right.  The longer this article hangs in the air undisputed, the worse of an effect it will have.  But I have one question that I want to ask, as Erwin picks up his phone to arrange for a press conference to be held.  "Who did you guys have in mind for my cover girlfriend?"

...

God damn brat.  Why the fuck isn't he answering his phone?  Shit, this isn't good.  I was really hoping to get a hold of him before the press conference.  I don't want there to be any surprises.  But the little shit is refusing to answer my calls or my texts.  My mind flashes to the hospital band that was around his wrist last night, and his obvious reluctance to discuss it, but I force those thoughts out of my mind.  He promised me that he's alright.  I just hope he's alright right now.  He probably just lost his phone, or put it on silent for some unknown reason.  Maybe he's at work at the donut shop.  Hopefully, and hopefully he won't see this press conference on TV before I can talk to him.

"Levi, we're on in three," Erwin calls to me, poking his head into the hallway I'm currently pacing.  Well, hobbling more like.

"Fuck," I growl as I hang up and shove my phone into my pocket.

I'm just about to round the corner Erwin disappeared behind, out to the large room full of reporters and news crews when a clicking of heels draws my attention.  I look back over my shoulder to see Isabel walking down the hall with Petra.  Isabel is dressed very professionally in a light grey pantsuit, her fiery red hair pulled up in a high ponytail.  It's very different from her usual pig tails.  Petra, however, is dressed in a dark blue dress that hugs every curve of her body beautifully.  The dress falls halfway down her thighs, showing off her long legs, which are further accented by her three inch heels.  Great.  Now she's taller than me.

I hold out a hand to her as they approach and she takes it with a small smile.

"Thank you again for doing this for us, dear," Isabel says as she straightens my blazer, dusting a stray bit of dirt from my shoulder.

"Of course," Petra beams, pressing a kiss to my cheek.  It's a shame really.  Any guy would be beyond lucky to have this woman in their life, and a gay man is claiming her only for publicity reasons.  "You've always been a good friend, Levi, ever since high school.  This is the least I could do to help you out."

"Such a sweetheart," Isabel coos, but then is pushing us towards the end of the hall that leads into the conference room.  "Just remember, you've been dating for three months.  You were keeping your relationship out of the press but now with this article you feel it's time to announce your relationship to the public.  Now get out there and don't fuck anything up."

 

**Eren**

What's the point in working when there are literally no customers?  I wipe down the counters for what has to be the fifth time in the last twenty minutes for lack of anything better to do.  Nanaba is in her office, doing god knows what, and no one else is on the clock at the moment.  Glancing at the clock I see that it's just before six.  Mikasa left an hour ago, and Bertolt isn't scheduled to clock on until my shift ends in an hour.

All day I've been worried about that article that Armin showed me this morning.  I was an idiot and forgot to plug in my phone last night, so it was dead when I woke up this morning.  I plugged it in, but that meant I had to leave it at home during classes and work.  Long story short I haven't had my phone on me all day which means I haven't been able to talk to Levi at all.  And that fact is killing me, considering the article that was published this morning.  Is he mad?  Did he even see it?  I don't know, and I hate not knowing.

The television in the corner of the room blares the sports channel.  When no one is in the shop, I'm allowed to turn up the volume so I can hear it.  Right now they're just recapping the Scouts loss last night, as well as some of the other matches that played this week.  They're also gearing up for the Shiganshina match that starts at seven tonight.

I'm just walking out of the back room, a few boxes in hand to restock the supplies at the counter, when the commentator on the television catches my attention.

 _"And now we're cutting to a press conference held by Coach Erwin Smith of the Trost Scouts,"_ one of the two men says.

 _"Yes, this press conferences was hastily arranged this morning_ by _Coach Smith, and I understand that they_ won't _be discussing the upsetting loss to Stohess last night."_

_"No, Bob, although I can understand why.  I believe that was the first match Levi Ackerman sat out from since his signing onto Trost five years ago.  They had to play a rookie striker, fresh from college, who's never taken a professional field before.  It was a frustrating loss indeed, but we understand that Levi Ackerman will return for their next match this coming Tuesday?"_

_"Yes, Joe, he has been confirmed to play in next weeks' match against Shiganshina. Hopefully the Scouts will be able to redeem themselves, especially with playoffs just around the corner."_

_"Yes.  But this press conference will_ not _be discussing last nights' match.  No, Coach Smith called this press conference together to discuss_ an article _published in The Trost Journal this morning."_

My stomach drops into my toes.  I know exactly what article they're talking about, and my mind is racing a hundred miles an hour trying to figure out why Erwin would schedule an entire press conference to discuss one tiny article on page four of a subpar newspaper.  What is he going to say?  I'm not even sure if I want to watch this.  I should turn it off....  But what if he says something important?  But I should really just turn it off.  OH MY GOD JEAGER JUST WATCH THE DAMN TELEVISION.

_"I read this article this morning, Joe, and I have to say that it does sound a little suspicious.  For those of you who haven't seen the article, it's titled 'Who Is He?' and it shows two pictures of Levi Ackerman, center forward for the Trost Scouts, seemingly very friendly with a photographer for the press.  Now, the name of the photographer has remained undisclosed, so our investigation hasn't turned up much on this boy, but the article is begging the question: who is he?  And what is his connection with Levi Ackerman?  What do you think this reporter is trying to hint at, Joe?"_

_"I honestly have no idea Bob, but my question is why does this reporter even care who Ackerman spends his time with?  Is there a law somewhere that I'm unaware of, that states celebrities can't be friends with the press?"_

_"No, Joe, there isn't.  But Coach Smith obviously feels that this article needs to be publically addressed, so we'll now send you over to the conference."_

The picture of the studio room cuts to a large conference room.  Rows and rows of chairs are filled with reporters and news crews.  My breath catches and I swear to fuck I might just have a heart attack as Coach Erwin Smith steps out onto the raised platform and up to a podium situated in the middle.  The camera zooms in on him and he straightens his tie before leaning forward to talk into the handful of microphones.

 _"This conference is being held in regard to the article that was published in The Trost Journal this morning.  Normally we wouldn't bother addressing such articles, but with playoffs right around the corner, we need Ackerman to have a clear head, and we need to have the press asking the right questions, and not questions about this article,"_ Erwin addresses the crowd.  _"I will have Ackerman come out and give a short statement, and then we will open the floor to a few questions.  So please hold all questions until after Ackerman has given his statement."_

Erwin steps back from the podium, ignoring the numerous questions that are thrown at him.  At that moment, Levi steps out onto the platform followed closely by Isabel and all questions die down as he steps up to the podium.  If my heart wasn't threatening to commit suicide by slamming itself into my ribcage, I would laugh at how a crew guy has to run up and lower all the microphones.  The glare on Levi's face is just perfect.  But unfortunately I can't appreciate it right now.

What is he going to say?  What should I be steeling myself in preparation to hear?  What does he have to say about this article?  He looks pissed, but then again he always looks pissed.  That's just his natural, handsome face.

Levi clears his throat and I can't breathe.  _"First of all, I'd just like to say that the brat in those photographs with me is nothing more than a photographer for the press and an avid fan.  I've signed autographs for him and have humored him with a few short conversations.  That is all."_   I force myself to take deep breaths.  He's just saying what he has to say to keep his orientation a secret.  They're lies, but he has to tell them.  He's not doing it to hurt me.  He's not doing it to hurt me....

Questions erupt from the sea of reporters and Levi cuts himself off, turning a pissed glare down to the reporters below him.

_"Does it look like I'm done yet?  Christ.  Now, that being said, I'd like to next dispel the rumors I have heard that state this kid and I have more than a friendly relationship.  In doing that, I'd like to finally become public with my relationship status."_

What?  What the fuck is he saying?  I watch, my heart flying in my throat, as he steps back from the podium and a drop dead gorgeous woman sporting a very form fitting blue dress steps onto the stage.  I remember her.  She was at the party.  Petra.  She's the head cheerleader for the Scouts.  What does she have to do with any of this?  When she steps up to Levi with a huge smile on her face and leans into his side, my heart stops.  When he loops an arm around her slim waist and pulls her into him, I feel like all the blood has left my body.

_"Ms. Ral and I have been together for three months now.  She is my girlfriend, and I am not an unfaithful man, so enough with the rumors that I am involved with that kid."_

My fumbling fingers find the remote to the television and I click it off.  I don't want to hear any more.  I can't feel anything.  I can't feel my face, my hands, my toes, and I can't feel my ass when I fall back onto it on the floor.  His girlfriend?  Is that really true?  Has he been cheating on her?  With _me?_   Oh my god, I'm not a home wrecker!  I'm not!  But I thought....  He had me sign that stupid confidentiality agreement to keep his orientation secret, but what if it was not only that, but to keep his involvement with me from getting to Petra?  But then why did he invite me to the Scouts party?  That was less than three months ago.  Why did she have to ask Bozado to invite her?  Why did he invite me?  He wouldn't flaunt me in front of his girlfriend, would he?  He's not that kind of man... is he?

My head hurts and I can't think.  I need to talk to Levi.  I need to talk to him.  I need to hear what's happening from him.  And oh boy if he tries to lie to me and I catch him?  I'm going to punch that pretty boy's teeth in.

The remaining hour of my shift could _not_ drag by any slower.  When I finally get to clock off, I grab my bike and race home.  My mind is still in turmoil.  Everything he said on camera was a lie.  Everything he said to me was a lie.  Petra is just his cover girlfriend.  He's been cheating on Petra with me.  I don't know what to think, and the thoughts won't leave me alone.  The confusion makes me angry, and by the time I reach my apartment I'm fuming.  I'm ready to stomp up the stairs, into my room, and invent a way to shove my foot up Levi's ass over the phone.

When I slam my apartment door open though, all my anger deflates at the confusing scene before me.  Mikasa and Armin are hovering in the space between the kitchen bar and the horseshoe of couches.  They startle and look up at me when I burst into the room, then back at the couch where none other than Levi Ackerman sits, his one socked foot and his other booted foot propped up on the coffee table and his sunglasses perched halfway down his nose.

"Uhm... what are you doing here?" I question, closing the door behind me.

"We need to talk," he says, then glances over at Mikasa and Armin before dropping a folded newspaper onto the coffee table with an added, "about this."

The newspaper is open to that god forsaken article, and my anger starts to come back.  "And we need to talk about that!" I shout back at him, pointing to the television, even though it's off.  He knows what I fucking mean.

"Yes, we do."

This time he's not so subtle about glancing at Mikasa and Armin.  He looks them dead on with a look that's only thinly veiled with patience.  Mikasa and Armin are smart people though, and it doesn't take them long to get the hint.  They quickly pull on their shoes and head to the door, Armin seeming nervous and Mikasa looking suspiciously at Levi.

"We'll just... uh... go visit with Connie and Sasha," Armin stutters, closing the door behind him.

I immediately open my mouth to yell accusations at him, but he puts a finger to his lips, standing and striding over to the door.  He hesitates, eyeing the door for a moment, then suddenly slams a fist into the door at about head level.  There is a sharp squeak, then the sound of retreating feet.

"Okay, now talk."

"What the fuck was that all about?  Is she actually your girlfriend?  Have you been cheating on her this whole time?" I rattle off, not giving him a chance to answer.  "Answer me, dammit, and you better not fucking lie to me!"

He's not fazed at all by my rampage.  He stands there, infuriatingly calm, with his arms crossed over his chest and GOD I've never wanted to punch someone and fuck someone at the same time before.  Yeah I'm pissed, but he's so fucking hot, so sue me.

"Are you done yet, brat?" he asks.  I can't formulate a response, so I just nod.  "Good.  To answer your question, no, Petra is not my girlfriend.  I'm as straight as a rainbow, kid.  But because of this fucking article, Erwin and Isabel came up with the brilliant idea that I needed a cover girlfriend to help ease suspicions."

So he wasn't using me to cheat on Petra?  The relief I feel almost makes all of my anger dissipate completely, but it's not that simple.  There are other questions that need answering, other problems that need solving before everything will be alright.  But before I get the chance to ask them, Levi continues.

"If you had answered your fucking phone at all today, I would've met up with you earlier to discuss all of this with you _before_ the fucking press conference.  Do you think I wanted you to hear all that from the fucking television?" he demands, waving his hand at the still blank screen.  He's definitely getting mad.

That's when I realize that not all of the blame for this is on his shoulders.  I share an equal amount of blame for this mix up.  If I had my phone on me, none of this would've happened.  "Sorry," I say, rubbing at the back of my neck.  "I left my phone here all day.  I didn't have it on me."

He exhales sharply and pinches the bridge of his nose, his eyes drifting closed.  "You little shit."

"Sorry," I apologize again.  But there's still one question that needs answering.  It's a lot harder than it should be to ask the question, but I force it past my lips anyway.  "So what's the deal with us?  Does this mean that we... that we need to stop seeing each other?"

His eyes snap back open and he looks up at me, his hand falling from his face.  He has a surprised look in his eyes, but then it grows devious.  He walks right up to me, until he's mere inches from me.  My breath catches.  I can't help it.  It's a natural reaction whenever Levi gets this close to me.

"I'm not done with you yet, Eren," he breathes, his tone husky and oh god my pants are suddenly way too tight.  "Not even close."

...

"How much longer until you think your friends will be back?" Levi asks.

I shiver at his finger skimming lightly up my bare arm.  With my head pillowed on his chest and his arm wrapped around me, it's the most cuddling we've ever done.  I'm afraid to even breathe wrong in fear of him pushing me off with his usual 'I don't cuddle' nonsense.

It hadn't taken much reassuring from him that we were still going to keep doing this.  And by 'this' I mean sneaking around and fucking every opportunity we get.  He told me that the only reason he agreed to Isabel and Erwin's plan to give him a cover girlfriend was because they promised him he could keep seeing me if he agreed.  That was all I needed to hear and we soon found ourselves in mine and Armin's room, the door kicked closed behind us, in my bed, with our clothes on the floor.  It was awkward at first because of Levi's boot, but I quickly took control and flipped him onto his back, riding him into a mind numbing orgasm.  I could tell that he's not used to relinquishing control.  He was resistant at first, he seemed so unsure, but I quickly took his mind off of it.  I'm just glad that I thought to keep some lube in my nightstand despite that we're never at my apartment.

"They won't come back until I give them the all clear.  I think you scared them off pretty good," I tease.

Levi chuckles, then reaches over onto the nightstand and grabs my camera, handing it to me.  I'm confused, and I just hold it above my chest, looking up at him for some kind of hint as to what he wants.  He rolls his eyes at me and pushes the power button.

"Show me your photos," he says.  "All your time spent with me is either with my dick up your ass or with your camera on my face, yet I've never seen any of your pictures."

"You haven't?  They get published in Trost Daily after every match," I tell him incredulously.

He shrugs, the movement jostling my head resting on his bicep.  "I don't read the newspaper.  Unless they publish defamatory articles about me and my supposed-to-be-secret lover."

The word sends heat blazing across my cheeks and ears.  So he thinks of me as his lover?  It's not what I ultimately want, but it's a hell of a lot better than fuck buddy, which is where I had placed our relationship status up until this point.  So with a smile on my face, I bring up my pictures on the small screen and hold it above us so that we can both see them.  I thumb through them, and when he sees a picture of himself- most of them are of him- he makes some sort of comment about it.

"That picture makes me look short."

"Well that's a flattering face."

"I look like I'm constipated."

"That one is decent, I guess."

"No more pictures of me next to Mike.  I don't want to see that shit. Big ass fucking tree...."

I laugh at his commentary as I continue to scan through the pictures.  I like this.  This is comfortable.  It almost feels like there's something more between us.  But I know that's a ridiculous thought, and I push it away, trying not to focus too much on how just being this relaxed and close with Levi makes my heart flutter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who don't watch (American) sports, the names of the commentators probably went right over your head (which is fine because it's not significant) but for those of you who do watch sports on American channels YES I DID TOTALLY PUT BOB COSTAS AND JOE BUCK IN MY FANFICTION. DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT. STOP JUDGING. STOP. And yes, I know that Buck and Costas aren't even commentators on the same sports network XD
> 
> And sorry for the weird chapter break. The chapter got way too long, so I literally just stuck a chapter break in the middle. So I guess consider the next chapter 17 part 2 ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	18. Striker Dominates First Match Back From Injury!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update! Yaaay! Because I'm going on a little vaca into the mountains for the weekend :) Also because of that, I won't be replying to any comments until I get back either late Monday or Tuesday.
> 
> ALSO!!! Look at this lovely [fanart](http://apursuitofemptiness.tumblr.com/post/119483044870/some-fanart-for-the-lovely-zoey04-of-ao3-who-is) from the last chapter! *squeeee* It totally made my night X3

**Eren**

When we reach the end of my photos, I almost put the camera down, but then a thought comes to me.  Oh, this is a bad idea....  He's going to murder me for it....  But of course I do it anyway.

I flip the camera around and, before he can pull away from me, I plant my lips on his cheek and click the button.  The camera flashes and Levi shoots me a glare as I turn the camera back around to take a look at the picture.

I'm shocked by what I see.  Honestly I was expecting a blurred off-center mess, but if there had been any emotion distinguishable on his face, I was expecting to see confusion, maybe even anger, in Levi's eyes.  Let's just say I wasn't expecting a very flattering picture.  But, despite being a little off-center, it's perfect.  It's crystal clear, not a blurred line in sight.  And the look in Levi's eyes....  They're still slightly sated from the sex, but they're looking at me with a look that I can't put into words as I press my lips to his cheek.  They look slightly amused, but most of all they look... happy.

We stare at the picture for a long time, and when I finally look up at Levi, he turns his face away from me.  But it's too late, mister.  I totally saw that little bit of color on your cheeks!

"I like this picture," I murmur with a smile, turning my attention back onto the small screen.

He just hums and my smile grows.  Is he embarrassed about me capturing so much emotion coming from him?  He shouldn't be embarrassed.  It's amazing, and I honestly really like this picture.  Deciding to further test the limits of this intimate moment we're sharing, I turn my face to nuzzle into his neck.

I guess I pushed the limits a little too far, because he sits up, shrugging me off of him.  Oh well.  It was worth it while it lasted.  He stands and hobbles over to where his clothes are in heaps on the ground. 

"You should delete that picture," he says, pulling on his shirt.

"Aw come on....  I really like it though!"

He doesn't respond as he struggles to pull on his pants.  He keeps looking around my room, a disgusted frown on his face, and I'm embarrassed at how messy it is.  Well I wasn't expecting Levi to come over to my apartment, since he never does, and I certainly wasn't expecting him to see my room.  I get up as well and pull on my boxers, immediately trying to organize my room a little better.

"Don't bother, kid.  I'm taking off," Levi says.  "Oh, and not a word of this or our conversation to your little friends.  I know I don't have to tell you that, but we need to be careful if we're going to keep doing this.  We can't let this get into the papers again.  It should be easier now that I've been hooked up with Petra, but we still need to be careful."

I nod in agreement, pulling my pants and shirt back on before following Levi out to the front room.  He doesn't say a word to me as he puts his sunglasses back on his nose and opens the door.  With a wave over his shoulder, he's gone.

I try to school my giddy joy out of my emotions as I find my phone and send a text to Armin saying they can come back.  It was just a calm discussion about the article.  That's all it was.  We didn't shout at each other, I didn't accuse him of lying to me, and he most certainly did _not_ fuck my brains out.  Of course not.  Nope.

The door slowly opens and Armin and Mikasa peek in, most likely looking for a shorty with too much attitude.  Upon not finding one, they visibly relax.

"He's gone, guys," I reassure them, taking a seat on the couch and turning the sports channel on.

"Did he really come all the way over here just to talk about that article with you?" Armin asks, taking a seat on the other small couch.  Mikasa sits herself down in the armchair.

"Yeah.  He wanted to apologize for any problems the article may have caused me," I lie, "and he wanted to make sure I was clear that we are simply acquaintances."

Armin and Mikasa stare at me for a long moment, and I know that they're not buying a single word of what I'm saying.

"He was up here for a long time," Mikasa observes suspiciously.

"He had a lot to say," I shrug.

"Really?  Because it seems that there wasn't much to talk about, if he was just apologizing and making sure you knew where you guys stood..." Armin counters.

Fuck, they're suspicious, and I don't see them letting up any time soon.  Fuck, what do I do?  I can't tell them what's really going on between Levi and me.  But I don't want to keep lying to my friends.  It's getting really hard.  I should've seen this coming though.  They're both really smart.  They were bound to figure it out eventually.  When I don't say anything, Armin busts out the big guns.

"Eren, are you in a relationship with that man?"

I nearly choke on my own fucking spit.  I try to act natural, calm, but that ship sailed long ago.  My palms are getting sweaty and I can feel the redness in my ears from all the lying.  "What the hell are you getting at, Armin?"

"Oh come on, Eren," he laughs.  "We're not stupid.  Ever since you've started going to all those Scouts practices, you've been going out a lot of nights, usually not to return until the next morning.  Whenever we ask, you say you were 'just out', or that you were with Jean.  Please, Eren," he snorts.  "You really expect us to believe you've been spending all that time with Jean?"

"And then when we ran into him at the art show, you two had to talk in private," Mikasa remembers.  "And now?  He just shows up at your apartment wanting to 'talk' to you, and you two take forever, and your shirt is on inside-out now, by the way."

I look down and fuck.  Sure enough, my shirt is on inside out.  With a defeated sigh, I pull it off over my head and fix it before shrugging back into it.

"You're totally in a relationship with Levi Ackerman, aren't you," Armin asks with wide eyes.  "You two were up here fucking while Mikasa and I were cowering in Connie and Sasha's apartment."

My eyes fly wide at the word coming from Armin's lips.  But then I'm quickly shaking my head, looking down at my hands clenched tightly together in my lap.  "We're not in a relationship," I murmur.  "He doesn't _do_ relationships."  Okay, maybe that came out a little more bitter than I meant it to.

"But you two are seeing each other?" Mikasa questions.  I can't tell if she's shocked or angry.

I shrug a shoulder.  "Yeah, I guess so.  But look, guys.  I signed a confidentiality agreement.  If he ever finds out that I told you any of this, I'll be fucked."

"I thought you were already fucked," Armin jokes, and again with that word coming out of his mouth, Jesus Christ.

"Ha ha, Armin.  I'm serious though.  That's what that whole press conference was about, if you even saw it.  He can't let the public find out that he's gay.  It'll ruin his career.  So please, don't tell anybody.  Hell, I never told you anything, understand?"

The both nod and I exhale in relief.

"You like him, don't you?" Mikasa suddenly murmurs.  "I know you said he doesn't 'do' relationships, whatever that means, but you want a real relationship with him, don't you?"

I stare very hard at my hands clasped together in my lap.  A frown pulls at my lips as I think about that.  Hell, I've thought about it before, but it's only getting worse and worse as the days pass.  I can't, and won't, deny that I do want something more.

"Yeah, I guess I do," I reply, rubbing at the back of my neck.  I still don't meet either her or Armin's eyes as I say this.  "I mean, I really do like him.  I love being with him, even when we're not having sex.  I wish that we could have an actual relationship, but it's not that simple.  He don't think he even wants to commit to me, but if he did, he can't.  The less serious this stays, the less likely that it will end up in the papers."

"I don't think that's very fair to you though," Mikasa presses.  "I mean, how long do you keep this up?  How long do you sneak around with him until you get tired of it?  You like him, and that's great, but if nothing will ever come from it, why don't you just end it now before you get yourself in too deep?"

"Because I think it may already be too late?" I reply, finally looking up at her.  "And maybe... maybe I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, something will come from this.  I mean, he won't play for the Scouts forever.  He's already in his late twenties.  He only has another five years most likely.  Ten if the years are kind to him.  And then he'll retire, and he won't have to worry about what the public thinks of him.  He can come out and it won't matter anymore.  So I guess I'm sticking around hoping that when that time comes, I'll still be there and that we'll finally be able to start something real."

Mikasa and Armin stare at me with wide eyes.  I have to admit that I'm pretty surprised at how deep that was as well.  I'm not usually capable of saying such serious things.  But after a long minute of silence, they both seem to relax and it appears that they're accepting my reasoning, that they're going to drop the subject.

"Well, even though you're not 'in a relationship' with him right now, if that shorty ever hurts you, I will kick his ass," Mikasa threatens.  "I don't care that he's famous.  I'll do it."

I roll my eyes at her, but at least she's not flipping out about me being in a sexual relationship with Levi, and over my word vomit of emotions over him.  This all could've gone down a whole hell of a lot worse.

...

"I don't like it," I grumble, glaring at the newspaper article with the offending picture.

Armin glances over at me from where he's sitting on the other end of the couch, doing homework.  His gaze shifts to the article on the coffee table in front of me and he sighs, putting down his pencil.

"Why don't you like it?" he questions.  I know that tone.  He's about to ask me a series of questions that will make me sound more and more ridiculous until he gets to the point where he points out my obvious ridiculousness.  God I hate when he does this.  But he's already started so there is no stopping him now.

"Because, I don't like it," I retort, trying to avoid answering his questions.  I don't feel like being lectured on my ridiculousness.  Nope, not today.

"Eren," he presses.

"Because, mother," I groan.  "I don't like seeing him with other people."

"And why don't you like seeing him with other people?" he asks next.  "I thought you said you two weren't actually dating."

I frown, casting another glance at the photograph of Levi and Petra.  She looks beautiful, as always, as the two of them walk hand in hand down the street.  She's laughing at something he said, and Levi even has a small smile on his face.  The article talks about how cute of a couple they make.

"Maybe because I want us to be actually dating?" I find myself saying, my eyes still on Petra's hand tucked intimately inside Levi's.  This isn't the first outing he and Petra have gone on since the press conference a week ago, and it won't be the last.  Levi told me to just ignore it, that it'll get easier to deal with, but so far that's turning out to be a lie.  "Maybe because I'm jealous.  I want _that._ "  I point to their interwoven fingers.

"You do realize that 'that' is fake, right?  It's all staged."

"I know that!  But I still don't like seeing it.  It's not fair."

"Do you know why I'm asking you these questions?" he asks after a moment of silence.

I look up at him then, an exasperated look on my face.  "Because you're trying to make me see how ridiculous I'm being.  You're going to tell me to 'just get over it' or 'stop being a baby' or something."

"No, that's not why."  He sighs and puts his textbook aside so that he can turn to face me.  "I don't think you're being ridiculous.  You're in an intimate relationship with him.  Even if you're not committed, it's human nature to be upset over seeing him be intimate with someone else.  It's natural.  I wanted you to admit this to yourself though so that you know what to say to Levi.  You should talk to him about it.  Because you know, chances are that he doesn't like this just as much as you don't.  He's gay.  I'm sure he doesn't enjoy having to be straight just because that's what society wants of him.  I'm sure that, if he could, he'd be doing that with you instead of with her."

I shake my head.  "He doesn't 'do' relationships, remember?  The straight part isn't the only part he's faking.  It's the 'dating' too.  Even if I were a woman, or if he wasn't in the closet, he still wouldn't be doing that with me."

Armin stares at me with a skeptical look on his face.  He doesn't believe me.  Fine, he doesn't have to believe me, but it's the truth.  I'm just his fuck buddy, not his boyfriend.

"I still think you should talk to him, Eren.  And if you won't do that, at least know that it's okay to be jealous."

...

That night, the whole gang gathers in Connie and Sasha's apartment to watch the last remaining match of the regular season, and the first match Levi will be playing in since getting injured.  Beers are passed around and rowdy conversation fills the room.  Everyone is present in the apartment, so the noise level is pretty loud.  But I don't mind.  It's a pleasant distraction from my jealous thoughts.

It's still twenty minutes before the match is supposed to start, but everyone is already a little buzzed, and the conversation soon turns to the very thing that I had hoped would be avoided tonight.

"So Ackerman is dating that cheerleader chick?" Connie questions.

Jean laughs.  "Yeah, and he made his relationship public _just_ to disprove rumors that he's fucking Jaeger."

"Shut up, Kirschtein," I grown, throwing a chip at him.

"Really?" Reiner nearly snorts into his beer.

"Yeah, did you not see the article that got published after the last match?" Ymir questions in surprise.

"No!  Dude, where is it, I _gotta_ see this," Reiner laughs.

"Look it up, man.  It was great.  Ackerman and Smith came back _that night_ to refute the rumors that Ackerman was banging Eren.  As if Eren would be so lucky," Jean mocks, and I want to punch him in the mouth.  I _am_ so lucky, horseface.

"Well, I can't say that I'm not jealous of Ackerman.  I mean have you _seen_ that cheerleader chick he's hooked up with?" Connie says.  "I'd bang her."  That earns him a hard elbow in the side from Sasha.  "Just kidding, babe, just kidding."

"I'd bang her too, Connie," Ymir says with a wink, then looks to Krista who blushes furiously when she says, "What do you say, babe, would you go three way with her?"  Wolf calls fill the room because apparently we're all a bunch of obnoxious, immature, disgusting high schoolers.

"You all can have her," Reiner says with a snort.  "I want Ackerman.  I mean, fuck guys.  He's smoking."  Bertolt turns to look at Reiner in surprise, and he almost looks hurt.  "Oh c'mon, Turtle, you know I love you, but don't tell me that you wouldn't bang him if you got the chance.  Ymir and Kirsta are going three way with the cheerleader, so why not go three way with Ackerman?"

Bert shrugs, looking away from everyone else to hide the color on his cheeks.  "He's not really my type."

"I'd fuck him," Jean admits proudly, leaning back in his seat, his hands folded behind his head.  He shoots Marco a quick look.  "Don't even try to tell me that you wouldn't."

Marco's cheeks start to burn red and he shrugs.  "I guess I can't say that I wouldn't."

"But we all know that Ackerman wouldn't bang Jeager," Jean snickers.

I roll my eyes and Armin looks like he's trying very hard not to laugh.  If only Jean knew like Armin knew.  "Very funny, horseface."

The mocking dies down as the match starts, and everyone becomes focused on the television.  Everyone had been expecting Ackerman to have a slow start, to struggle a little bit getting back into the swing of things, but he doesn't.  It's the exact opposite really.  He's on fire, invigorated, and he absolutely dominates.  His other forwards seem to take energy from him, and they all play extremely well also.  By the time the first half of the match end, the score is three to nothing, and everyone has started favoring getting shitfaced over paying attention to the match anymore.  I continue to watch though, enjoying seeing Levi so energized.

The match ends with a score of five to one, and the Scouts advance into the playoffs.  It was pretty much guaranteed that they would, but it's still exciting.  The after party continues, but I decide that I've had enough celebrating for the day, and I head back up to my apartment with Mikasa and Armin.  I know I'm being a party pooper, and usually I'd be right there with them all, getting drunk and partying well into the early hours of the morning, but right now I'm not really up to it.  I just want for Levi to come home so that I can be with him and remind myself that everything happening between him and Petra is all fake, that Levi really _does_ want to bang me.

 ...

When Levi returned from the away match, he was still totally amped from such a great match, and the sex that night was fucking incredible.  He even brought out some new toys like ropes and gags and shit and hot damn it was amazing.  As the next week progressed, Levi and I spent a lot of time together, but he also spent a lot of time with Petra.  A couple of times, I almost brought up what Armin wanted me to talk to him about, but each time, I lost my nerve and ended up saying something else.  I just don't want to risk losing what I already have by upsetting Levi.

Laying in bed with Levi following a long night of rough, physically activities, I trace the hard lines of Levi's abs as my mind ponders a secret I've been keeping from Levi for two weeks.  I was never planning on telling him, but for some reason, I'm deciding that I probably should tell him.  He has a right to know.  So the words leave my mouth with no warning, and I brace myself for the repercussions.

"My roommates know about us."

Levi stiffens under me and I instantly try to come up with a way to right the wrong.

"I didn't tell them, I swear," I say, sitting up so that I can look into his eyes.  They're shocked, but are starting to grow angry.  "They're really smart.  They knew I was sneaking around with somebody, and when you came over that day after the press conference to talk about that article, they put two and two together.  But I made them swear not to tell anyone.  You can even have Isabel make them sign a thingy or whatever.  I trust them though.  They won't tell anyone."

"Alright," he finally says.

I'm shocked for a long moment.  "Alright?  That's all you have to say?  You're not... you're not mad at me?"

"No," he replies, grabbing my arm and pulling me back against his chest.  "If they figured it out on their own then you didn't breech the contract.  If you did nothing wrong, then I won't be mad at you."

"And we can still keep seeing each other?" I questions hesitantly.

"Yes, brat, we can keep seeing each other.  I don't know if I'll ever get tired of your ass," he tells me.  Suddenly, his hand starts trailing down my chest towards my soft member.  When he next speaks, his voice is husky in my ear.  "Speaking of your ass, I'm ready for round two."

A grin splits my face and I eagerly reposition myself so that I'm in his lap, all worried thoughts instantly leaving my mind.  He uses the collar still secured around my neck to pull me down onto my back on the bed.  He grabs his ropes and I sit still for him as he ties intricate knots and loops around my body.  My cock is fully hard again by the time he finishes.  Well, at least I thought he was finished.  He flips me over and repositions me onto my knees, my face pressed into the mattress.  Leaving me with my ass in the air, he heads to his closet to grab a few things.

I don't catch sight of what they are, but when he returns to the bed, he immediately slips the familiar cock ring onto my cock.  A new rope gets looped around my wrists at the small of my back, then threaded through the headboard and discarded for the moment.  I hear the pop of a cap, then Levi's slicked fingers are circling my entrance.  It doesn't take much prepping, considering the vigorous activities that took place not long ago.  But when his fingers leave my hole, his cock doesn't replace it.  No, he sits back on the bed and produces a plug.  Only this plug is different than any we've ever used before.  It has things attached to the end of it.  One is a ring, and the other is long and curved and I can't even begin to imagine what it's for.  But I soon find out.  Levi slips the plug into my slicked hole and I gasp as that curved piece of rubber prods at the base of my aching cock, rubbing at it and providing the friction I so desperately want.  But that cock ring around the base of my cock hinders my release, and now that prodding piece of rubber becomes torture instead of pleasurable.

Levi picks up the discarded end of the rope and ties it to the ring at the base of the plug.  I'm not sure what the point is until I shift my hands, and the rope turns into a sort of lever that pulls at the plug, forcing the plug a little deeper and the prodding end to rub at my cock.  I gasp again and try to remain still.  The pleasure I'm feeling is so intense that my breathing comes quick and my heart races in my throat.  Levi hums in satisfaction, leaning close so that he can whisper in my ear.

"You don't know how absolutely beautiful you look, tied up like this," he breathes, his voice thick with lust.  But then he grows more serious and I know immediately what he's going to ask before he even asks it.  "Is this okay, Eren?"

I nod into the pillows and the movement jostles the rope.  I'm already a panting, sweating mess on the bed and we've only just begun.

"You are so fun to control, Eren," he murmurs, his fingers skimming over my back.  It tickles, and my body shivers.  Again, the rope pulls.  "You are so desirable when you're a writhing mess on my bed.  But you were a naughty boy, Eren.  You let your friends find out about us."

"Punish me daddy," I moan into the pillows.  "I need to be punished.  I'm a bad boy."

"Such a bad boy," he breathes into the skin of my lower back.

Every move of my body, every little twitch, causes the chain reaction that sends fire burning down my cock, relief not to be found.  The plug shifts inside of me, pressing on that one sensitive spot and igniting my entire body.  Everything is buzzing.  I can feel it from my head down to my toes.  Every nerve is on fire, begging for the release that only Levi can give me.  Begging for Levi to bring me even more pleasure.  Begging for Levi to make me his like he has so many times before.

A hand suddenly smacks across my ass and I yelp.  The plug thrusts in, hitting my prostate, at the same time as that prodding end strokes up my cock.  I'm so overwhelmed by the pain mixed beautifully with the pleasure that my vision fades.

"Again," I plead with Levi, trying to still my body to keep the rope from pulling.

"That's no way to ask, Eren," he purrs, his fingers trailing over the still stinging flesh on my ass.

"Please spank me again, daddy," I beg, barely recognizing my own voice, dripping with lust and need.  "Punish me more.  I was such a naughty boy."

His hand connects with my ass again and this time I moan loudly, like a wanton whore.  He spanks me again and again, each time jostling the plug and sending new waves of pleasure and torture through my body.  Once they stop though, Levi leans forward to press soft kisses to the areas he slapped.  I hum into the pillows, taking this time to catch my breath and try to settle down so my body stays still.  I take deep breaths, trying not to shiver as Levi's fingers ever so lightly caress my ass and thighs.

His fingers hover around the plug, circling it and trailing a finger along the prodding end.  "Are you ready for my cock, Eren?" he asks, his voice low.

"Yes, Levi," I breathe.  A wave of anticipation and sheer need envelops me with the thought that he's getting ready to fuck me.  "Please... please give me your cock."

I hear him open the tube of lube, and although I can't see him sitting behind me, just knowing that he's rubbing his hands along his hard length, getting ready to put it in me, makes my whole body buzz.  His fingers quickly untie the knot on the plug, then slip it slowly out of my hole.  I groan into the pillows, and then gasp when Levi's cock is suddenly replacing the plug.  He wastes no time thrusting into me, immediately picking up a quick, hard rhythm.  I gasp and moan and whine and cry his name as he slams into me, over and over again.  The sound of skin slapping on skin fills the room along with my obscene noises.  After a few more thrusts, Levi starts to add to the noise echoing through the bedroom.

My cock burns with the need to release as Levi takes me thoroughly from behind.  He doesn't move his hands though from where they are gripping the ropes wrapped around my body, using them as a sort of leverage to pull me back into him.  He ignores my aching cock and the small band wrapped around its base.  But right now, I don't really care.  All I can feel is him.  That thick cock of his claiming me and making me his.  I have to admit that I'm really glad we stopped using condoms.  I can feel that sinful piercing even more now, and the way it rubs and massages at my passage is enough to make my knees weak all by itself.

It doesn't take much longer for Levi to finish, coming deep inside me.  His thrusts slow as he rides his orgasm, his hands trailing down my back to my ass.  I'm panting heavily into the pillows, my hands fisted tightly at my back.  I need my release.  Oh god I need to come.

Levi pulls out of me with a low groan, my name on his lips.  "Fuck, Eren..." he murmurs.  He presses kisses up my spine to the nape of my neck as his hands work to untie me from the ropes.  I'm practically whining now, as the ropes fall away and his hand brushes teasingly along the underside of my cock.

"Levi... was I good?  Was I a good boy?" I ask, my voice only slightly muffled by the pillows.

"You were a very good boy while daddy punished you.  And now you get your reward, Eren," he breathes.

He rolls me over onto my back, then eases down between my legs.  His tongue laps at the head of my cock and I whine loudly.  I'm so close to my release, but the ring holds it at bay.  He licks up the underside of my cock, then takes the head into his mouth.  God, this isn't a reward, this is torture.

He takes his time working his way down to the base of my cock, teasing and licking as he goes.  But once he's taken all of me into his mouth, his nose brushing my pubic hair, he finally reaches for the ring.  He slowly pulls it off, it following his mouth as he works his way back up my shaft.  He releases my cock just long enough to completely remove the ring, and then he's deep throating me again.  I don't last long at all, considering I've been on the verge of release for too fucking long.

With a shout of his name, I come down his throat.  He swallows all of it, milking me for every last drop, before finally pulling away from me.  I'm left a panting, sweaty mess on his bed.  All I can do is lay there and watch as Levi cleans us both up and starts to put away his toys.  Once that's all taken care of, he immediately starts his aftercare.  His gentle hands massage away the tension in my shoulders and hips from the awkward position I was in, and they sooth across where the ropes had pressed into my skin.

I hum as his hands work over my arms, letting my eyes slip closed.  I allow myself to completely relax, enjoying the feeling of Levi's hands all over my body, caring for me and making me feel so good.  His lips soon join his hands, kissing along the lines left from the ropes.

Three words suddenly pop into my head and I nearly gasp, my eyes flying open.  I don't think it's so much the words themselves that scare me so much, but that I almost said them out loud.  They were right on the tip of my tongue, and if I had been any less lucid, they would've come right out.

I bite my lip and look down at Levi.  He didn't notice.  Good.  But that doesn't stop the fact that I'm freaking out a little bit.  That would've been all sorts of bad if I had said those three little words.  I don't know how Levi would react, but I know it wouldn't be good.  I won't even try to deny those words, because I know they wouldn't have popped into my head if they weren't true, but I'm going to have to be more careful when I'm around Levi.

Deciding to deal with my revelation later, I try to focus really hard on Levi's hands running all over my body.  I can think about what I almost said, and what that means for me, later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohmygosh FEELINGS. It's about time, ne? Honestly it's so weird writing so much smut without all the fluffy lovey dovey goodness.... Like my baby wasn't supposed to start having feelings yet BUT I COULDN'T HELP IT.
> 
> On a side note, I swear I didn't make any of Levi's toys up. The entirety of my sexual experience can fit on the back of a postage stamp, so I couldn't make that shit up if I tried XD I've actually seen pictures of a toy that works like the plug he used on Eren, I totally swear. Although it might be intended to be used by women.... And on another side note, always use condoms, kids.
> 
> I'm on [Tumblr](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/) tracking the tag "fic: fotp"


	19. Fan Gets Lessons From the Pros!

**Eren**

The next morning at school, I'm still trying to figure out how to walk like I _didn't_ have my ass thoroughly fucked into the mattress multiple times last night, as I lock up my bike by the art building.  Honestly, I'm just thankful it's the middle of winter and I can wear long sleeves and baggy sweatshirts, because the ropes Levi used last night left really nasty bruises all over my body.  Levi was pretty startled and apologetic, and it took a lot of reassuring that I wasn't hurt, that he didn't do anything wrong.

I'm leaving the bike rack and walking towards my first class of the morning when a hand on my shoulder stops me.  I turn to see Thomas, a fellow art major that I've shared a number of classes with over the years here at Trost.

"Hey Thomas, what's up?" I ask.

"Can I ask you something really quick?" he says.  He seems strangely nervous, his hands gripped tightly together behind his back and a slight color on his cheeks.  That's odd....

"Well I think you just did," I joke to help ease whatever random tension this is.  Thomas and I have always been pretty cool.  We're not close friends or anything, and he's only ever hung out with me and my large group of friends a couple of times, but I would still consider us friends.  So that's why this is confusing me.

He laughs, but it's a nervous laugh and one hand comes up to rub the back of his neck.  His eyes look everywhere but at me as he asks, "I was actually wondering if you would go out on a, uh... a date with me?"

I stare at him wide eyed for a moment, completely shocked.  Okay, so I wasn't expecting that.  At all.  But once my mind finally understands the question that came out of Thomas's mouth, it goes into overdrive.  What do I do?  What do I say?  I mean, I could see myself dating him.  He's a nice guy, and he shares my passion for art.  But this thing with Levi complicates things.  If I weren't screwing around with Levi, I would most likely say yes.  I could still say yes if I wanted too, right?  After all, Levi told me that I could when he told me that he couldn't commit to me.  That seems like forever ago, but I'm sure it still stands right?

But, do I want to date Thomas while still fooling around with Levi?  I think that would make things awkward.  And although Levi might be fine with me seeing other people while we are 'together', I highly doubt Thomas would be okay with it if it ever came out.  And I don't think that's something that I could keep from him.  Not that I fear him finding out, but I just don't think my conscious would let me keep it secret.  That would technically be cheating on him, wouldn't it?

So that leaves me with basically two options here.  Either I decline Thomas' offer and continue to fuck around with Levi on a non-committed level, or I take Thomas up on his offer and end things with Levi to engage in a normal, committed relationship with dates and feelings and all the shit I'm craving from Levi.

The choice is actually much harder than I thought it would be.  My first instinct is to decline, to tell him that I'm not interested, but my conversation with Mikasa a few weeks ago comes back to me.  What am I hoping to gain from this relationship with Levi?  What am I hoping comes out of this?  I know I told her that I was hoping that we could be something after he retires from the league, but how long will I have to wait for that?  A year?  Five years?  Ten?  Am I even willing to wait that long?  Will Levi even bother keeping me around for that long?  I already wasn't expecting our... whatever this is to last as long as it has already.  How much longer do I truly have before he moves on to someone else?  And do I want to throw away my chances at a normal relationship on the off chance that I get a little more time with Levi?

Like I said, the decision is harder than I expected it to be, and honestly all this thinking is making my head hurt.  But Thomas saves me from having to think about it much more, at least for now.

"You don't have to give me an answer right now," he tells me.  "I know this was sudden....  Uhm, just think about it?  And let me know, okay?"

"Oh, okay... yeah sure," I nod.

We stand there in awkward silence for a moment before Thomas takes a step towards the building.  "We should probably get to class before we end up late."

"Oh, yeah, right," I say, following him towards the classroom, my mind still spinning in dizzying, nauseous circles.

...

With a week left until playoffs, Thomas' offer is still buzzing around in the back of my head like an annoying mosquito, but I've managed to not think about it, for the most part.  Another thing I've managed to not think too much about is my near confession to Levi, which is a good thing, I guess, because I really don't want to think about that either.

But I continue to spend a lot of alone time with Levi, doing very adult things.  It's three days before the first match of the playoffs though, when he visits my apartment.  Honestly I was surprised to see him standing on the other side of the door when I answered it.  I had just sent him a text maybe half an hour ago saying that I couldn't go over to his place because I have to finish my final art project that's due next week, and it's not even close to being completed.  The last thing I was expecting was for him to come here.  Good thing that Armin and Mikasa are out of the apartment for now.

"Uhm, hello?" I greet, still really confused as to why he's here.

"You going to let me in or are you going to make me stand out in the hall all night?" he asks.

"Oh, sorry," I say quickly, letting him into the apartment and closing the door behind him.  He kicks off his shoes and removes his sunglasses as I make my way back to my easel.  "I'm still working on my project...."

"That's fine," he says, taking a seat on the couch.  "Isabel keeps bugging me about things and honestly I was bored and annoyed, so I thought I'd come over here.  I swear that woman spends more time in my apartment than she does in her own home."

"Yeah, it seems like she's always at your place.  She always has the worse timing too," I laugh as I take a seat back on my stool and pick up my brush.

"Tch," he snorts.  "You can say that again."

He turns on my television, and of course the sports channel comes on, and of course it's showing a soccer match.  New York at Stohess.  I forgot that there was a match on right now.  I meant to watch that.

An awkward silence fills the room.  It's weird being around Levi like this.  Usually when we're together, he's playing soccer, or we're having sex, or building up to sex, or coming down from sex.  That thought actually makes me a little sad.  That's all our relationship is.  Soccer and sex.  But maybe this is the start of something more?  Sitting in my apartment watching television together?  Yes, I know that it's a soccer match, so that could technically fall under the 'soccer' part of our relationship, but I'm not counting it as that.  No, this is something different.

I decide to make the most of this rare moment and stand up from my stool, crossing the small living room to take a seat on the coach with Levi.  My painting can wait for a little while, I guess.  The companionable silence that continues is weird though.  Super weird.  Is he going to want to have sex?  Or is he legitimately just here to chill in an Isabel-free environment?

"So are your roommates here?" he asks.

"No.  Armin is still at the hospital and Mikasa has the late night shift at the coffee shop tonight," I tell him.  I'm almost afraid he's going to suggest sex, but as I watch his profile and the thought of him fucking me fills my mind, I find that I actually hope he does suggest sex.

But he doesn't, much to my shock.  He simply nods and keeps his attention trained on the match.  I almost decide to let the thought of sex slide, but after a glance at the score and seeing that it's four to zero Stohess with twenty minutes left in the match, I decide that I'm really horny and that I want him to fuck me.

I climb into his lap and straddle him, which surprises him at first.  I decide to be a little bold and press my lips to his in a searing kiss.  He doesn't resist or even hesitate in the slightest before returning the kiss which I think is a first for him.  I don't wonder at that, or allow myself a moment to celebrate.  I part my lips for him and let his tongue dive into my mouth.  His arms wrap tightly around my waist and suddenly he's standing.  I instinctively tighten my legs around his waist and my arms constrict around his neck.  We leave the match abandoned on the television as he hurriedly carries me to my bedroom.

He kicks the door shut with a foot and drops me down onto my back on the bed.  Before he climbs on top  of me though, I catch the time on my clock and wince.  Crawling out from underneath him, I grab a sock from my sock drawer and hang it on the doorknob outside the bedroom door.  Our door doesn't have a lock, so hopefully if Armin gets home before we're done, he'll get the message.  I mean we're college students.  What college student doesn't understand a sock on the doorknob?

Levi doesn't ask.  He went to college too so I'm sure he gets it.  I climb back up on the bed and we immediately pick up where we left off.  I don't have any fancy toys here like he does at his place, but that's never stopped us before.  Levi knows how to get creative.

But he continues to surprise the shit out of me when he doesn't even attempt to get creative.  We undress each other, and then he preps me carefully before he lubes up his cock and pushes into me.  His hands fist in the sheets by my head, his face dipping to press into my neck.  He may not be using any toys or getting creative, but that doesn't make it gentile or anything less than pure fucking.  Of course not.  This is Levi who has his dick up my ass after all.  He thrusts into me hard, and when his lips part from my neck, his usual crude growls flow from his mouth.

"You like that, Eren?" he murmurs into my neck, snapping his hips sharply into mine.

"A-ah!  Levi..." I moan.

"Say my name, Eren.  Say it again."

"L-Levi," I practically whimper.  "Harder.  Harder."

My moaning fills the small room, but suddenly Levi's movements halt completely, his cock buried fully in my ass.  He slaps a hand over my mouth, silencing my raunchy moans, and turns his head slightly to look towards the door.  Sure enough, I hear the front door of the apartment close and a set of keys drop into the bowl.  He removes his palm from my mouth and holds his finger to his lips, telling me to be quiet.

He pulls out of me slowly, then thrusts back in and I can't help the gasp that escapes my lips.  He grins deviously at me as he starts to pick up a steady pace again.  A moan slips past my lips and he covers my mouth again with his hand with a soft chuckle.  He snaps his hips forward again and his laugh fades into a groan.  I lift my own hand to cover his mouth and his eyes are full of amusement as he continues to thrust into me.  We moan into each other's hands as we grow closer to our peaks.

Footsteps sound towards the door and Levi stills again.  The footsteps hesitate right outside the bedroom and I hold my breath.

"Uhm... Eren?" Armin's small voice sounds from the other side of the door.

"Yes, Armin?" I question when Levi removes his hand from my mouth.

"I-I don't know what this means.  Are....  Is someone in there with you?" he asks.

"Yes, and it means that Eren is getting lucky," Levi replies before I can and my eyes go wide.  Yes, Armin knows that Levi and I are seeing each other, but I wasn't expecting Levi to verbally confirm it for Armin.  "And, if you don't mind, that someone would really like to get back to it."

"S-Sorry!" Armin squeaks, and I can practically feel the heat in his cheeks from all the way on the other side of the door.

"Two more minutes, Armin," I promise him.

"Five," Levi quickly counters.

I hear Armin hurry away from the door and I start to laugh, but Levi's deep thrust turns it into a moan.  Levi finds his rhythm again and no, he doesn't manage to hold out for five more minutes.  It's not much later that I come first, coating both our stomachs, quickly followed by him, pulling out to come across my stomach as well.

We quickly clean ourselves up, then get dressed and head out into the front room.  Armin is at the kitchen table with his textbooks, studying for his finals, and a blush colors his cheeks as soon as we enter the room.  He keeps his eyes glued on his textbook as Levi takes a seat on the couch and I climb back on my stool.  Levi puts his feet up on the coffee table and watches the last few minutes of the match as if he's been sitting there all afternoon.  How he manages to look so casual after fucking me into the mattress with my roommate in the other room, I don't know.  I'm trying to fight my own blush as I dive straight into my painting.

Armin keeps glancing over at Levi periodically.  He's still not used to Levi's presence, and I don't think it helps that he almost walked in on us having sex.  I only notice his glances for a few minutes though before my focus gets fully enveloped by my painting.

 "Oi, Eren," Levi's voice says, cutting through my concentration.

I look up to see him standing by the door, pulling his shoes on.  Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I see that it's been almost three hours since he got here.  "Uh, yeah?"

"I have to go," he says.  "Will you be at practice tomorrow?"

What's tomorrow?  Wednesday?  "Yeah, I'll be there."

He nods, then puts on his sunglasses before opening the door.  "See you tomorrow then, brat."

...

I arrive at the Scouts practice almost two hours late.  I had to stay after class and discuss an upcoming art show with Hannes, and then Hanji called me to talk about the results of my most recent tests.  She didn't like the results, but she said I didn't need a transfusion today.  She did have me stop by the hospital though so that she could draw a new vial of blood to have retested.

So when I arrive at Trost Stadium, it's just about half way through the first block and it appears that the team is taking their short break.  I look around for Levi, but I see him sitting on the far end of the bench with Pixis and the rest of the forwards, so I decide to leave him alone.  I set my backpack down and am about to fish out my camera bag when a shadow looms over me.  I look up to see Mike standing by my elbow.

"Come out on the field for a second," he tells me.

He doesn't give me the opportunity to reply, instead snagging a soccer ball and heading out towards one of the nets.  I jog after him to catch up, and when we get in front of the goal, he tosses me the soccer ball.  I catch it and hold it awkwardly, watching Zacharias as he puts himself in his natural position in front of the net.

"You always look so out of place and bored on the sidelines all day long.  We're on break for the next twenty minutes, so since none of us will be doing anything picture-worthy, we might as well have some fun, right?  Go ahead and take a shot," he says.

I stare at him wide eyed.  He actually wants me to take a shot at him?  I get to make an attempt on a world famous goal keeper?  Holy crap this is something I've only ever dreamed of.  Well, I usually dream of playing soccer with Levi, not Mike, but this is good too!

I drop the ball onto the ground and take a few steps back, but then hesitate.  "Uhm, I don't know how to play soccer," I admit, slightly embarrassed.

"You mean to tell me that you're such a huge soccer fan and you've never played soccer before?  Not even for fun?"

I just shake my head.  No need to elaborate that I was never allowed to because my mom was always afraid I'd get hurt.  And once I left for college, I never really had the time to gather all my friends for a friendly match.  We hardly ever seem to have free time at the same time.  So needless to say, while I've juggled a soccer ball around a few times by myself, I've never actually played before.

"Alright, well just take a shot and see what happens," Mike shrugs.

I nod and Mike gets ready, shifting into his defensive stance.  Taking a deep breath, I charge forward and swing my foot down at the ball.  My foot connects and it flies into the air.  I hold my breath, but it deflates quickly as I watch the trajectory of the ball.  Mike straightens from his stance, his hands falling to his sides as he watches the ball soar way over his head.

"Oops," I laugh nervously, rubbing the back of my neck.

The ball hits the wall below the stands and bounces back towards the back of the net.  Mike jogs around it to fetch the ball, tossing it back over the net to me.

"That's alright.  That was a really strong kick for someone who has never done this before," he reassures me.  I reposition the ball with my foot and take a few steps back.  "This time try-"

"Make sure your hips are square with the net when your foot meets the ball," Levi suddenly says from behind me, cutting Mike off.  His hands take hold of my hips and my breath catches.  "You want your approach to be at an angle, but once you reach the ball, you want to rotate your hips in as you swing your leg forward.  Also, kick the ball with the inside of your foot instead of right on top.  Don't kick it with your laces."  He taps the inside of the top of my shoe with his cleat.  "Try again."

I swallow hard and nod.  Levi steps to the side and crosses his arms over his chest as I get ready to kick the ball.  Now I'm nervous because Levi is watching me.  I don't want to make a fool out of myself in front of him.

I charge forward again, this time concentrating hard on the tips Levi gave me.  I approach the ball at an angle, but I forget to rotate my hips back towards the goal.  The ball sails way right, missing the net by a mile.  I can feel the embarrassed blush starting to color my cheeks.

Farlan suddenly appears out of nowhere, lunging to intercept the ball before it rolls out of bounds.  He dribbles the ball back towards us, passing it to me.

"That was a really nice shot," he says, "just in the wrong direction."

"He's right," Levi agrees with a nod.  "Good shot, you just didn't rotate your hips."

He moves up to my side and stands shoulder to shoulder with me, facing the net.  "You want to only take a couple of steps on your approach.  I do three."  He moves forward, slowing down his attempt down so that I can watch.  "One, two, and then plant your non-kicking foot right next to the ball.  As you're planting though, you'll already be swinging your other foot down to kick the ball."  He pauses his kick to show me the alignment of his hips and the line his leg makes.  "And see my foot?  You want to turn it out slightly, but keep your toes down.  Try again."

He steps back and now I have both Levi and Farlan watching me.  Wow how embarrassing is this?  A complete newbie is being taught how to play soccer by world famous professional strikers.  Actually, this is pretty cool.  Who else can say that the pros taught them how to play soccer?

I make another attempt, and this time it flies straight at Mike.  Like literally straight at him.  He doesn't even have to move, easily catching the ball against his chest.

"There you go," Levi says with a nod.  "That was just about perfect."

"But I kicked it right to him.  He could've been blindfolded and it wouldn't have gone in.  It would've just bounced right off him," I point out.

"Yes, but it was still a very good kick.  I'm not expecting you to be able to put spin and arch on it, or be able to trick shot it passed a professional goal keeper, brat," he snorts.

I nod and Mike tosses the ball back towards us.  I catch it with my foot.  I put it into position, then take a step back.

"This is boring," Farlan suddenly says.  "Let's make this more interesting."

I look up to ask him what he has in mind, but suddenly he's charging at me.  Only one thought passes through my head as I catch sight of the striker making a beeline at full speed towards me, his eyes intent on the soccer ball: oh fuck.

I'm not even thinking as I bend down to grab the ball and take off with it down the field, away from Zacharias in the net.  I'm pretty sure an embarrassing squeak left my mouth, but that's the least of my worries right now.

"Hey, this is soccer, not football!  Put the ball down!" Farlan shouts, and I know without looking back that he's chasing after me.

"Technically this _is_ football!" I shout back over my shoulder.

"We're not in Europe!  This is soccer!"

"Technically it's called football in almost every country except for America!  Not just Europe!"

"Who the fuck does this kid think he is, telling me about my own damn sport?" Farlan laughs.  He's right behind me.  He's catching up.

I quickly spin on my heels, darting back around him before he gets the chance to react.  But I come up short when I see Levi sprinting towards me.  I try to turn back around again, but Farlan is right behind me.  I spin around again to face Levi just as he reaches me.  I squeak as his knee comes up, connecting with the underside of the soccer ball and launching it out of my hands.

A grin is on his face as he juggles it with his feet, taking off back down the field towards Mike who is still in the net.  I laugh as I chase after him, trying to get the ball back without cheating and just picking it up with my hands.  The stupid bastard keeps throwing around trick moves though, moving the ball out of my reach every time I get near him.  He spins around me, or tosses the ball over me, all using his feet.  The jerk is totally showing off, and it's made even more obnoxious by the dumb grin on his stupid face.

But I have to admit, it's incredibly hot.  The way he maneuvers the ball, using these complicated moves and techniques as if it were nothing....  Eventually I stop trying so hard to get the ball from him, simply enjoying watching him work with the ball.  Farlan is just about busting a gut laughing at Levi teasing me, but right now I don't really notice him, all of my attention on the man in front of me, toying with me.  My realization from a week and a half ago comes back to me, but I try not to dwell on it.

We go back to Levi teaching me how to make attempts on goal for the last few minutes of the break, and I have to admit that those few minutes are some of the best of my life.  Not only are my dreams of playing soccer with Levi Ackerman coming true, but I'm also playing soccer with a man that I love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay the feelings are developing more and more and I love it XO And I had a desperate need for Levi to play soccer with Eren and totally show off. So I hope you enjoyed that lovely bit of fluff X3


	20. A Startling Secret is Revealed!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so up until now, knowledge of soccer wasn't really necessary in order to understand the fic, but now that we're getting into playoffs, I'm going to explain how the (American) system works. I won't go into how teams are ranked, and how it's decided which teams make it into the playoffs, because that's not important. Ten teams, five from each conference, will make it into the playoffs. The 5th and 4th place teams from each conference play each other in a knock out round and the winners advance. The 4th and 1st place teams play against each other and the 2nd and 3rd place teams play each other. The winners advance and play each other. The winners then advance again into the Cup. BUT NONE OF THAT REALLY MATTERS BECAUSE I'M CHANGING IT UP A LITTLE. I need a few more rounds because, as we know, I keep stretching out my timeline to pack all this shit in. The important thing to know is that each team plays each other twice back-to-back so that each team gets home field advantage once. The first half of the round can end in a tie, but the second half of the round must have a winner. So for example, in the first round, if the Scouts play Stohess, the first half of the round is a 90 minute match played in Trost that can end in a tie. The second half of the round is a 90 minute match played in Stohess a day or two later that will have a 90 minute over time if it ends in a tie. If the 90 minute overtime doesn't break the tie, then there will be a shootout where the team who scores the most out of five shots wins. Oh, and at the end of both halves, whoever scored the most goals wins. So one team could win the first half and the other team the second half, and there would still be a winner. It won't get this complicated in the fic, because it's mostly about what's happening with Levi and Eren, not really about the soccer, so don't worry too much if I confused you with my horrible explanation.
> 
> And as the chapter title hints, this is the chapter you've all been waiting for....

**Levi**

Match day.  This is it.  I know that I should be more excited and more pumped up for this, and if Eren were here he'd probably call me 'Grumpy Pants' or something.  But for some reason the playoffs have never gotten me excited.  They're just like any other match for me.  The MLS Cup match is different.  I've played in that match once in my last four seasons, and we lost.  That is an exciting match, and it is devastating to lose.  I desperately want to win that cup, and I know that I can't get to that match without doing well through the playoffs first, but that doesn't seem to matter to me.

During the morning practice before the match, the coaching staff does a good job at getting the team excited and ready for the match.  All except for me, of course, but they're all used to my bored playoffs game face, so they don't even try to get me amped up.  As captain of the team though, I'm right there with the coaches trying to get my team mates' heads in the match and trying to get them determined and passionate about a win tonight.

I know Eren is excited about this match though.  One, because he hasn't shut up about it since the regular season ended, and two, because he's sent me at least a dozen text this morning _telling_ me how excited he is.  He's trying to gear me up and get me excited as well, and I have to admit that it might be working a little.  If anything, I want to win this match for him.  It's that same feeling from the exhibition match in Canada.  I don't know where it keeps coming from, but I know it's there, the need to win for that god damned green-eyed brat.  He's so excited about being able to attend a playoff match from the sidelines that I think his little heart might burst.  I want it to be a good match for him, and me being bored and unfazed by it could ruin it for him.

When the time to take the field arrives, I start to feel that normal match time buzz start to flow within me.  I can hear the roaring of the stadium, the rumble from the announcers, the chanting from the team, and it's starting to get me excited and in the zone.  We start to file out of the tunnel and onto the field and I take a deep breath, shaking out my hands as I bounce from foot to foot.  Let's fucking do this.

We jog out onto the field to the ridiculous roar of the fans, and my eyes immediately scan for Eren.  I don't find him, but the sidelines are more packed than usual considering that this is a playoff match, so I brush it off.  I'm sure he's in there somewhere.  That brat wouldn't miss this match for the world.

The announcers give their normal spiel about everything that we all already know.  Yeah, we know that this is week one of the playoffs, we know that the winner will advance to the next week and that the loser will be eliminated.  We know that standard league rules apply.  Yada yada yada.  Finally, the national anthem is sung, and then we take the field.

I take deep breathes, getting into the zone.  Mike and I join the head ref in the center of the field for the coin toss.  We win the toss and choose to keep the ball.  I take my position in the center of the field as the ref positions the ball.

The whistle blows, and the match begins.

I quickly shoot off the ball to Farlan and we charge down the field.  The difference playing here with the Scouts versus Team USA is night and day.  My fellow forwards on the Scouts and I can read each other so well, we're like five parts to a well oiled machine.  When I move to the left, Farlan automatically moves up, and Eld instinctively comes into the inside.  When Eld races forward, Farlan and I automatically skirt around to the net and Gunther and Oluo hurry up the middle.  Where one of us moves, the others react.  It's perfect, and today is no different.

The team we're playing for the first round of the playoffs has a weak defense.  It has been their sole problem all season.  But this is something that I and my other four forwards take full advantage of.  We work as a perfect team, also with the help of our halfbacks, to score two goals in the first half.  I'm completely in the match, my whole body buzzing with the adrenaline and the energy of the match.  I can feel the strength surging through me as I take that first shot on goal, and the ball sails past the goal keeper's outstretched finger tips.  The roaring and raging of the crowd only further excites me, and I cheer loudly with the rest of my team mates after each goal scored.

Eren told me after our last home match that I'm almost a whole different person when I play in a match.  He says that I'm a near one eighty from my normal uncaring and stoic personality.  I can't say that he's wrong.  I _feel_ different during a match.  There's just something about being in a stadium full of screaming fans, under the bright lights, and doing something you love when it actually matters.  Each win, each goal scored, it all adds up and it all leads to something.  It might just be a game to most people, but not to me.  I may be an entertainer, playing for the enjoyment of everyone in the stands and for everyone gathered around a television screen, but it's what I love, which means that it means something more than entertainment to me.

This high usually takes a few hours to wear off as well, lasting well into the night.  I don't know what it is, what sort of chemical reaction in my body, or which synapses are firing just right in my brain, that causes this high, but when I combine it with the intense pleasure I get from being with Eren, it results in the best nights of my life.  Even after a loss, my favorite time to be with Eren is immediately following a match.  Tonight is no exception.  I almost long for the match to be over so I can take that green-eyed beauty back home to my place and ride out the rest of my blissful high with him writhing beneath me.

But when the first half comes to an end, with a score of two to one, I scan the crowd of photographers on the sidelines again and don't see him.  Where is that brat?  Did he have to go take a shit?  Maybe he got here late and got stuck behind all the other photographers.  But something isn't sitting right with me, and I can't deny the worry that starts to eat at me.  It's hard to focus on Pixis trying to give us a strategy talk while my mind is wondering where Eren is.  This reminds me too much of the home match before the press conference that I invited him to.  He never showed up for that match either, and I remember being worried that something bad had happened to him.

Fuck, now that thought is in my head and it won't leave.  I'm worried about the kid now, but this time I'm even more worried than I was last time he was a no show.  I don't know why that is though.  Maybe it's because of how excited he was for this match.  I can't brush his no show off as him forgetting.  There's no way he forgot about the match.  And even if something came up, I can't imagine him not coming to this match unless the issue was very serious.  What if he's hurt?  What if something bad happened to him?  What if he got hit by a car on his way here?  He's always riding that stupid bike everywhere, so it's not an unreasonable fear.

It also hits me that maybe I'm more worried this time because my feelings for the boy are stronger.  I try to tell myself that the thought is ridiculous, but I can't.  I can't deny that I might be developing feelings for the boy.  But hey, after all of the shit we've done behind closed doors, of course I'd have some sort of feelings for the brat, right?  I mean, we've been doing this for months.  I've never fooled around with anybody for that long.  It's just normal fuck buddy feelings.  It has to be.  It can't be anything more than that.

When halftime ends, I glance back over to the sidelines to look for Eren one last time.  I desperately need to see those bright green eyes.  But I don't see them.  I try to ignore the nagging feeling in the back of my mind, trying to turn my focus back to the match.  It takes a few minutes after the starting whistle blows for me to get back into the flow of the match, but I do.  Eren could be perfectly fine, just caught up with family issues, or something else important.  I know his finals are coming up soon, so maybe he decided that he needed to stay home and study.  He could be sitting in front of a television right now, watching this match.  If he is, then I need to give him the best show I can.

I fall quickly back into the flow of our well oiled machine.  Eld and I bounce the ball back and forth between each other in a number of quick, successive moves that throws off the other team.  With one more quick play, the ball shoots across the field from Eld to Farlan, who then makes an attempt on the goal.  The ball finds the upper corner of the net.  Three to one.

I'm dripping sweat, my jersey plastered to my body, and my lungs heaving as the match winds to an end.  I manage to score one more goal, and Mike manages a second half shut out.  A grin splits my face as I race down the field following the call to end the match.  My arms are in the air, and Mike meets me at center field.  I jump into his arms as our teammates surround us.  Mitabi and Ian have Farlan on their shoulders, and Moblit and Gunther are hanging off each other.  The only thoughts running though my head now are thoughts of victory and advancement into the next week of playoffs.

But as we're heading back to the locker room, still in full celebration mode as if we had just won the Cup, I instinctively look over to the sidelines where the press photographers are still huddled.  My mood instantly deflates when my eyes fail to meet the green eyes I so desperately want to see.  I try to snuff out the little part of me that is disappointed that I can't share this victory with Eren.

That disappointment is instantly replaced by anger though when I get into the locker room and check my phone.  There isn't a single missed call or text from that sniffling brat.  The first time he was a no show, we didn't have each other's numbers, so he couldn't let me know he wouldn't be there.  The few times he didn't show up after that, he sent me a text to let me know.  So why not this time?  How hard is it for him to pick up his fucking phone and send one god damn text?  That shitty little fucker.

Erwin gives his post victory speech, but I'm seething through the whole thing.  I don't catch a single word of it, and as soon as he dismisses us, I'm storming out of the locker room.  I'm not even to my car yet when I dial Eren's number and put the phone to my ear.  I'm still furious with the idiot, but my worry ends up overcoming my anger.  If he was perfectly okay, he would've called, right?  The only reason I can think of for him not calling is that he's _not_ okay, that he _couldn't_ call because he was in some sort of trouble.  The phone rings and rings and rings, and I'm already seated in my car, getting more worried by the second, when my call is answered.

 _"Hello?"_   It's not Eren's voice, and that doesn't help matters.  It's a female voice, and it sort of sounds like his sister, but I haven't talked to her enough times to be certain.

"Who is this?  Where is Eren?" I demand.

_"This is his sister, Mikasa.  Who are you?  His caller ID just says Grumpy Pants."_

If I weren't so worried, I would laugh.  Of course he'd save my contact under that name.  How totally Eren of him.

"This is Levi.  Where is Eren?" I ask again.  "He didn't show up at the match.  He told me he'd be here."

 _"He's, uhm...."_   She hesitates, as if wondering if she should tell me or not.  Finally, she sighs and then continues.  _"He's in the hospital."_

I can't respond for a long moment.  So my fears are coming true.  Something really did happen to him.  Why is my heart racing so fast?  Why is it hard to breathe?  Where is this... this pain coming from?  What does it mean?  I don't understand....  "What happened?  Is he okay?"

_"I... I can't tell you.  He'd kill me.  He'll probably kill me anyway for telling you that he's in the hospital.  He's fine, by the way.  But... if you want to come ask him yourself, he's at Trost General.  I actually have to leave in a few minutes, so it'd be nice if someone can come keep him company.  He gets bored really easily."_

I don't even have to think twice about it.  "I'm on my way," I tell her before ending the call and tossing my cell phone into the passenger seat.  I'm racing out of the parking lot before it even completely settles.

What happened to that damn brat?  What did he do?  Mikasa said that he is okay, and I know that she wouldn't say that if it weren't true.  My worry fades quickly at her words, and now I'm just confused.  Why is he in the hospital?  Why wouldn't he want me to know?

My mind is a mess the entire way to the hospital.  When I park my car in the huge parking lot, I almost leave the car without my beanie or sunglasses.  I almost don't even care to grab them when I do remember, but then decide I'd rather not deal with throngs of fans.  I just want to go in and talk to Eren.

I keep my eyes down, my head ducked, as I enter the front lobby.  Heading to the reception desk, I quickly grab the older woman's attention with a few sharp taps on the counter.

"Can I help you?" she asks, her voice tired.

"I need to see Eren Jaeger.  He's a patient here.  What room is he in?"

The woman frowns and starts to tell me something about how if I'm not family, I can't go see him, but a tall woman in a doctor's coat walking down the hall looks up from her clipboard when she hears me say Eren's name.  I immediately recognize her as Erwin's girlfriend.  I've seen her around a few times since the party a while back, and I even went on a double date with them and Petra for publicity reasons a week or so ago.

I remove my sunglasses and immediately head towards her, knowing that she can help me.  She's a friend of Eren's father, right?  So she might know about Eren and might be able to take me to him.  I ignore the calls of the receptionist for me to stop, and Hanji waves her off.

"Levi?  What are you doing here?" she asks me.  "How did you know Eren was admitted?"

"I tried to call him because he didn't show up at the match tonight," I tell her.  "His sister answered and told me he is here."

"Oh, the poor thing was so upset he couldn't go to your match," she tells me, leading me down the hall towards the elevators.  "He'll be embarrassed that I told you this, but he was on the verge of tears the entire time I was treating him.  His sister turned the match on though when it started and he watched the whole thing.  I think he woke everyone on the entire floor with his cheering."

I'm a little shocked to be hearing this.  He was really that upset about missing the match?  I had already felt a little like an asshole for being mad at him when his sister told me he was here, but now I feel even worse.  If what Hanji said is true, he really wanted to be at that match and was really upset that he couldn't be there.  I guess that means I can forgive him....

We get off the elevator on the third floor.  I don't know what area of the hospital we're in, but it's much more quiet than the ground floor and a lot less chaotic.  Hanji leads me down a hall, passed a door with a placard reading her name.  _Hanji Zoe MD, Hematology_.  Hematology?  Isn't that blood stuff?  This doesn't seem like he's here for an accident.

"Hanji?  Why is Eren here?  Why is he in the hospital?" I ask her.

"I can't tell you that, short stack.  Doctor-patient confidentiality.  You'll have to ask Eren, and it's up to him whether he wants to tell you or not," she answers.  "I'm not really even supposed to be letting you up here to see him, but if you won't tell anyone, then neither will I."

I'm about to make a snappy retort about the nickname she just loves to use, when she stops in front of a door and pushes it open.  She steps inside, and I hesitantly follow her.

Eren is sitting there in the one hospital bed in the small room.  He looks a little pale, but other than that he looks completely healthy and... relaxed, as if it is a completely normal thing for him to be here.  He's sitting in the bed with his sketchbook, his pencil flowing across the surface as the post-match commentary echoes from the television on the wall.  His face is calm, as if he were sitting in his apartment on the couch, and not in a hospital room.  The next thing I notice is the nearly empty bag that hangs above his head, the thick red contents slowly snaking down the thin tube that connects to the inside crease of his elbow.

Eren looks up when the door opens and his eyes widen.  He turns even more pale, if that's even possible.  His eyes are locked on mine, but then they flicker to Hanji, full of fear.

"Did you tell him I was here?" he asks Hanji, sounding betrayed.  "Why are you here?"

The second question is directed at me.  I frown, trying to think of how to answer that without him knowing how concerned I was for him.  He doesn't need to know that.  I don't usually get worried over people like that, so let's just pretend that it never happened.

Hanji doesn't say anything, instead backing out of the room and pulling the door shut behind her, leaving me alone with Eren.

"I noticed you weren't at the match, so I tried to call you," I tell him.  "Your sister answered and told me that you were here.  She didn't tell me why though, and neither did Hanji."

He just stares at me for a long moment, then sighs and his eyes shift back down to his sketchbook in his lap.  He fiddles with his pencil for a minute, and I decide to take a seat in the one chair near his bed.

"I guess there's no hiding it now.  I have hemophilia," he says, so quickly and quietly that I almost don't catch it.  Before I can ask him to elaborate on what that is, he continues.  "It's a genetic disease, I was born with it, so don't worry, I didn't give it to you or anything.  My blood doesn't clot like it does for normal people.  Whenever I get cut bad enough, or when my tests are low, I have to come in for blood transfusions.  A piece of equipment I was cleaning broke at work today, just before my shift was supposed to end, and it cut me."  He holds up his hand to show me a thick wad of gauze strapped to the palm of his hand.  "I had to come here to get it stitched and to get a transfusion."

Suddenly everything makes sense.  This is why he didn't show up to that match or the press conference.  And I know he's missed other matches as well.  Because of this?  Maybe he's missed practices also due to this disease.  This is why he asked me not to draw blood, and nearly freaked out when I accidentally did the time I bit him.  This is why he panicked when he got a nosebleed at the party and went running to Hanji.  Hanji is his doctor.  That's the real reason why he knows her.

I feel like I should be angry with him.  We've known each other for quite a while now.  We've been sneaking around doing very intimate, very personal things for quite a while now.  Why didn't he trust me enough to tell me about it?  Why was he hiding it from me?  Does he hide it from everyone?  I told him at the very beginning that the kind of sexual relationship we have requires trust in each other.  Does he not trust me?  But for some reason I'm not upset.  If anything, I'm just concerned about him, and what this disease means for him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I find myself asking him.

He frowns, not looking up from his sketchbook.  But I can still see that his eyes are full of determination when he says, "Because I refuse to let this disease define me.  It's not who I am.  Yeah, it's a part of me, and I'll never be able to get rid of it, but I won't let it control me.  I'll fight it, and I won't let it win."

"But why hide it?"

"Would you have started... whatever this is with me if you had known?" he shoots back at me, finally looking up at me.  "No, you wouldn't have.  Who wants to have to deal with someone that's diseased?  Everyone that's ever known, all the adults in my life while I was growing up, they all looked at me differently when they found out.  They treated me like I was some delicate flower that would break if they even looked at me the wrong way.  I hated that.  I _hated_ that, Levi.  So I stopped telling people, and now no one treats me differently, and look!  I'm still alive, aren't I?  I mean, look at all the things we've done together.  You never would've done any of that with me if I had told you, right?  But now you know that I can handle it.  Now you know that I'm not weak."

I don't know how to respond, because he's right.  If I had known that he had this disease, I never would've taken things as far as I did with him.  But he's also right that he was able to handle everything we did.  He's right that it didn't break him, it didn't hurt him.

"I can understand if you want to end things between us because of this," he says, looking away from me again, back down at his sketchbook in his lap.  His brow is furrowed, and he looks distressed, like he doesn't like what he's saying, but he's saying it anyway.  "I also lied to you by hiding this from you.  So I understand if you can't trust me anymore and want nothing to do with-"

I can't listen to this anymore, so I stand and cross the room quickly.  I take hold of his chin and pull his face up, shutting him up with a kiss.  He's tense beneath my touch, but then he relaxes and kisses me back before I pull away.

"Brat....  I'm still not done with you.  I keep saying that, but you still keep asking me if I want to end this.  Do you really think something like this will scare me away?  Not fucking likely."  I lean in and whisper the rest against the shell of his ear.  "Especially not after hearing the way you beg for my cock.  I can't give that up so easily."

It's technically a lie.  That's not the reason why I'm choosing to keep him around.  It's something else entirely.  This weird protective feeling that started growing in my chest when he was explaining his condition to me.  This now familiar warmth that spreads through me every time I see those eyes.  But I can't tell any of this to him, because I don't even want to think about it myself.  So I push it away, as I have been doing for months.

He shivers and I take satisfaction at causing such a reaction.  I pull back from him, then take my seat back in the chair.  The look on his face is one I'll never let myself forget.  He looks elated.  I assume that it's over the fact that I'm not choosing to end things between us like he was afraid I would, and it pleases me that I can make him happy.

"This is also the reason I bruise so easily," he tells me.  "So no, I don't kind of regularly run into posts.  And I'm not being abused.  The hemophilia causes me to bruise easily, and will also give me random bruises.  Oh, and headaches.  I get those every once in a while.  The match I missed before we went to Quebec?  I was in bed for half the week with a headache."

All I can do is nod.  Everything is making sense now, as if I had finally found the missing puzzle piece.  The picture is whole now, and I feel like I know Eren on a much deeper level.  Everything that's happened over these last months that confused or baffled me suddenly has an explanation.  It all makes perfect sense, and that feeling is very comforting.

"Levi?" he questions, his voice soft as he stares intently at his sketchbook.

"What is it, kid?"

"Promise me you won't pity me?  Or treat me any differently now that you know?" he asks of me.

"Of course, brat.  I don't pity people, and if you don't wish for me to treat you any different, then I won't.  I'll treat you exactly as I've always treated you," I promise him.

"Good," he says with a nod.  "Oh, and the only people that know about my hemophilia are Mikasa and Armin.  And my parents.  And Dr. Zoe.  And now you.  And I'd like to keep it that way."

"You're secret is safe with me, Eren," I assure him.  "Just as my secret has been safe with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, right?? I'm actually afraid that the hemophilia reveal didn't live up to a lot of your guys' expectations. So please let me know how you feel about it either here or on [Tumblr](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/).


	21. Team Shows Support for Player!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay early update! I'm going into the mountains again this weekend so I'm putting the new chapter up before I leave. It was a last minute decision so that's why I'm posting this at such an awkward time, or else it would've been up earlier today.
> 
> ALSO. I have a pretty important announcement to make regarding this fic, but I'll put it in the notes at the end of the chapter. So first, enjoy the chapter :)

**Levi**

I stay with Eren in the hospital until Hanji releases him.  I don't know the reason why, but the thought of leaving him here by himself never even crosses my mind.  It doesn't mean anything though.  I'm just not the type of asshole to leave a kid in the hospital by himself.  And considering we're in the specialized area of the hospital, there isn't much activity here, which means a lot less eyes that could possibly identify me.

He doesn't have to stay in the hospital for much longer after I arrive though.  The transfusion finished only a few minutes after I got there, and about an hour later, Hanji clears Eren to go home.  He gathers his few things, heading into the bathroom to change back into his clothes, then he walks out to my car with me.

"Can I come over tonight?" he asks me as I start the car and pull out of the parking lot.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I question him with a glance over at him.

He exhales sharply.  "Leviii," he whines.  "You promised me that you wouldn't treat me any different."

"And I'm not.  You just had a blood transfusion, Eren," I remind him.  "As much as I want that ass of yours, you should be resting."

"What if we don't do anything?  What if I go to your place and just... rest?"

I look over at him again to see a bit of nervous look on his still pale face.  "That would be a first," I snort.  "But that's fine with me."

I change course and head further into downtown towards my apartment building.  Eren seems pleased, and I'm surprised at how much that pleases me in return.  I'm not bothered at all that the brat will be staying at my apartment tonight without sex being involved.  Who knows, maybe it'll be a nice change of pace?

When we get to the apartment, I get Eren a glass of water and he takes a seat on the couch.  "So, movie?" he asks as I hover at the end of the couch.

"You look exhausted, Eren.  You sure you don't want to just go to bed?" I question him.

"Please?  I'm not really that tired," he says, but the huge yawn immediately following the end of the sentence does a lot to discredit his statement.

"Alright," I give in.  "But if you fall asleep, I'm leaving your ass on the couch.  The movies are underneath the television."

A huge smile splits his face as he jumps up to go pick out a movie.  He stumbles slightly though, and I reach out to grip his elbow to keep him from falling over.  He recovers quickly and continues to the entertainment center to riffle through my collection of movies.  He ends up putting on Moulin Rouge and settles on the couch next to me after turning off all the lights.

We start off with a decent amount of space between us, but Eren keeps not-so-subtly moving closer to me, and it doesn't even take until the end of the opening credits for him to end up shoulder to shoulder with me.  After a tense moment, he finally decides to just lean against me, his head resting on my shoulder.  I lift my arm to drape it almost casually over his shoulders.  Because, you know, it's more comfortable like that.

It's not long after he's settled into my side that he whispers, "So does this count as a date?"

"Don't make this uncomfortable, brat," I reply.  "You know I don't do dates."

He's quiet for a long minute, his body a little tense against mine.  I'm starting to think that I fucked this up, and that I should say something, when Eren speaks again.  His voice is so quiet that I almost miss it, and I wonder for a moment if he even said anything at all or if I just imagined it.  But the smugness on his face assures me that he really did say what I thought he did.

"It's a date."

...

Eren does in fact fall asleep.  Christian hadn't even made it up into the elephant room for his private meeting with Saline before his quiet snores fill the room.  I exhale sharply, not really sure what to do now.  The movie goes completely unwatched as my eyes fixate on the boy sleeping against my shoulder.  I'm pleased that the color in his face seems to be returning.  His messy rat's nest of hair falls across my shoulder and in his eyes.  Without even thinking about it, I lift a hand to brush the thick strands away from his eyes.

My heart does this funny thing in my chest as my fingertips brush across his forehead.  Honestly is scares me, and I quickly drop my hand into my lap, looking away from his sleeping face.  Fuck, I don't know what that was all about, but it's new and frightening and I want it to go away.

At that moment, the elevator dings and I hear the doors slide open on my floor.  The clicking of heels enters the room.

"Oh, you're back-" Isabel starts to say.

"Shut it, loudmouth," I hiss at her under my breath, gesturing to Eren sleeping against my side.

She clamps a hand over her mouth, muttering a muffled "Sorry."

She crosses the room and places a thin folder on the coffee table.  She smiles sweetly at Eren, then gives me a look.  I turn my eyes away from her.  I don't even want to know what that look is all about.  I'm having a hard enough time dealing with the weird fluttering feeling in my chest without her making things even more awkward.

"I was just dropping those off," she whispers.  "I wasn't expecting you to be back already.  I thought you'd be out all night partying with the guys."

I shrug my one unoccupied shoulder, still not meeting her eyes.  I almost tell her that I went to go see Eren in the hospital instead of going out with the guys, but then remember that he doesn't want anyone to know about his condition.  "I decided to spend the night with Eren instead."

"This doesn't look like your usual method of spending the night," she teases.

"Just get the fuck out of here," I huff, trying to hide the warmth that's starting to creep into my cheeks.

"Alright, alright, I'm going.  Have fun," she teases with a wink.

She turns on her heels and heads back for the elevator before I can locate something to throw at her.  As soon as the doors close behind her though, I'm shutting off the movie and trying to figure out how to get Eren into the bedroom without waking him.  Despite what I told him, I have no intention of leaving him on the couch.  He just came back from the hospital.  He needs to get some proper rest on an actual bed.  Yeah, let's go with that excuse.

By some stroke of luck, I manage to get the stupidly tall brat into my arms and carry him down the hall and into the bedroom.  Don't ask me why I choose to tuck him into my own bed instead of the guest bedroom.  I don't have an excuse for that one.  I don't bother to change him, not wanting to risk waking him any further, despite how disgusted I am by his dirty clothes touching my sheets.  Stripping down into my boxers, I climb in bed with him and try to get to sleep.  But sleep eludes me.  That is, until I roll over and wrap an arm around Eren's waist, pulling him back against my chest.  With the warmth of his body heat against me, and the slight movements of his chest as he breathes, and the tickle of his hair on my face, I'm able to quickly fall asleep.

...

When I wake, it's to Eren's face buried in my neck and... is that drool I feel?!  I shove him off me and he startles awake, looking around him before curling back into the pillows, closing his eyes.  I wipe his drool off my neck, then roll out of bed.  Looking at the clock, I see it's almost nine.  I have to be at the field for practice in an hour.  Glancing over at Eren reveals that he's already fallen back asleep, his soft lips parted and drooling again.  God that's so disgusting.  I leave the brat be though as I stretch and head for the bathroom to get ready for practice.

Half an hour later, dressed in loose sweatpants with my soccer shorts underneath, and an old beat up jersey, I cross back over to the bed to shake Eren awake.  I push at his shoulder and he groans, burying his face into the pillows.

"Wake up, Eren," I tell him.  "I need to leave for practice."

"But it's Sunday," he mumbles into the pillows.  "You don't have practice on Sunday."

"I do during playoffs.  Get up brat.  If I'm taking you home first, then we need to leave."

"Alright, alright," he exhales, rolling over and violently tossing the sheets back.

He rubs at his eyes before climbing out of bed, still fully dressed in his clothes from yesterday.  Gross.  I need to remember to wash those sheets when I get home after practice.  He follows me out to the front room, hesitating by the elevator while I grab a few water bottles from my refrigerator.  Shoving them in my duffle, I join him in waiting for the elevator.

"I might stop by practice for your afternoon block," he tells me, picking at the gauze still taped to his palm.  That's gross too.  Should he change that?  "I still have that art project that I need to work on this morning.  Oh wait... fuck, I have work this afternoon.  Never mind."

I roll my eyes at him.  "I should make you come to practice anyway, since you missed the first match of the fucking playoffs," I tease.

His bottom lip juts out slightly as he pouts, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.  "I didn't do it on purpose!  And I'll be super careful for the rest of playoffs.  No sharp objects for me."

"Good," I say, surprised at the emotions starting to well up within me.  It's those damn emotions that force the next sentence past my lips.  "Please be careful.  I don't want anything serious to happen to you."

He looks as surprised as I feel, and neither of us say a word, probably too uncomfortable to address the feelings thick in the air of the small elevator.

...

Practice ends early tonight, because it may be the post season, but it's still Sunday.  And the second half of the first round of playoffs is tomorrow.  We're flying out early in the morning, so we needed to practice today.  Everyone files into the locker room to shower and change.  But I notice that no one leaves.  The staff, including the coaching staff, with the exception of Erwin, all left right after practice like usual.  But even the players that finished getting ready to leave haven't left yet.  They're slowly but surely moving to the open area of the locker room used to give pep talks and go over strategies and shit before matches.  They're lounging around on the benches, and when I finish getting ready, Erwin waves me over.  That's when I notice Isabel has joined the group, Farlan's arm wrapped around her waist.  Now I'm nervous.

"What's going on here?" I question, hitching my duffle strap more securely on my shoulder.

"We need to talk to you," Farlan says.  "All of us.  About something important."

What the fuck...?  "Okay... speak."

They all look at one another before Mike speaks up.  "We know about you and the photographer."

"What about him?" is my immediate retort.  "He's a fan and an acquaintance."

"We know he's more than that, Levi," Eld replies.

My glare shoots to Isabel and Erwin.  They were the only ones who knew about this.  They must've told everyone else.  I feel so betrayed.

Isabel immediately raises her hands in a defensive position.  "Hold up.  I didn't tell them.  Neither did Erwin."

"We figured it out on our own," Farlan tells me.  "Mike and I figured it out a long time ago, and I think everyone else figured it out a few days ago when you and the kid were playing around on the field."

There are a bunch of nods of confirmation from the rest of my teammates.  I just stare at them like a deer caught in the headlights.  What the fuck am I supposed to do?

"Despite how hard you try to keep your emotions in check, they show a lot when you're around that photographer," Gunther tells me.

"Yeah, Levi.  You wear your heart on your sleeve with that kid," Oluo agrees.

"You look at him differently than you look at anyone else," says Moblit.  "You may think you're hiding it, but you're really not."

"We're not saying all of this to call you out," Erwin intervenes quickly.  He's probably sensing my anger.

"Really?  Cause that's sure as fuck what it seems like you're doing," I snap back.  "So, what?  Fantastic.  You're all amazing fucking detectives.  Yeah, I'm fucking the photographer.  Are you going to try and get me kicked off the team now?  Are you all fucking disgusted that I'm a homo?  Are you afraid I'll try to fucking rape you in the showers now?  Uh oh, Levi likes dick, better watch your backs now."

"Levi, enough," Isabel huffs in irritation.  "You know that's not what's going on here."

"Just the opposite in fact," Mike points out.

Farlan takes a step towards me and grips my shoulder firmly.  I fight the urge to rip out of his grasp.  I'm still angry, but now I'm also confused.

"We're saying all this because we want you to know that we're here to support you," he tells me, and I can hear the sincerity in his voice.

"It's true," Gunther nods.  "We think it's great that you finally have someone in your life."

"We're hoping it'll make you less of an irritated asshole," Oluo laughs.  Everyone else in the room joins in on the laughter.  All but me.

"It's not like that," I quickly defend.  "It's just casual."

"Yeah, sure it is," Farlan snorts.  "Whatever it is, we're going to support you."

"And everyone here has sworn to keep your secret," Erwin reassures me.  "We all understand that it can't get out to the press, so you don't need to worry."

I won't say it out loud, but I am worried.  It was easy to keep my secret when only Isabel and I knew.  Now everyone else, my entire team, they all know.  Eren's two friends know as well.  It's spreading like wildfire, and I'm afraid it won't stop with just the people in this room.  I'm afraid it will keep spreading until it finally makes its way to the press.  And then the whole world will know, and my career will be over.

"I just have one question," Oluo says, raising his hand as if we were in a fucking classroom.

"What?" I nearly snap.

"Does that mean Petra is still technically single?"

The room erupts in laughter and someone throws a cleat at Oluo.  A smile even pulls at my own lips.  I'm still no less worried, but I'm realizing that I should have more trust in my teammates.  They're practically family to me.  I spend more time with these men than I do with anyone else, Eren included.  When they say they support me, I should believe them.

 

**Eren**

I'm on fucking cloud nine as I go about my week, ever since my trip to the hospital Saturday night.  I always feared that Levi would find out about my disease.  With how close we grew, it would've been stupid to think that I could hide it from him forever.  What I mostly feared was Levi's reaction.  I had whole-heartedly expected him to push me away, to be done with me for good.  I never in a million years would've guessed Levi's reaction.  When I saw him standing in the doorway to my small hospital room that night, I thought for sure that that had been it.  I was expecting him to look at me with disgust, tell me to lose his number, then to walk out of my life.  I mean sure, he's just continuing our whatever this is just for the sex, but he's continuing it, and that's all that matters to me.

Okay, I know that's a big fat lie.  I can't bullshit myself like that.  I'm so head over heels for that man that it's scary.  Especially since I know he doesn't feel the same way.  I know that this fuck buddies, friends with benefits, type relationship won't be enough for me forever.  Eventually I'm going to want something more, and either Levi will give that to me, or I'll have to find someone else that will.

That brings Thomas back to the forefront of my mind.  He's brought it up a couple more times since he first asked me out, but I haven't thought too much more on his offer.  Maybe I should.  Nothing has changed though.  All the problems I thought of before are still there.  I can't have both Levi and Thomas, and I'm not willing to give up Levi just yet.

When I saw Levi again on Monday after he came home from the second half of the first round- which the Scouts won, by the way- he told me that the rest of his team knows about us.  It made being at practice with all of them super awkward, but Levi promised me that they were supportive of us.  That's a little reassuring, but I can tell that Levi is nervous.  He's probably worried that so many people know about us.  It makes the chances of his secret getting out that much greater.  But I have faith that no one on his team will leak it to the press.  I've seen the way they interact.  They're like brothers.  All of them.  There doesn't seem to be a single one that doesn't fit in with the rest of the team.  I trust them, and I know deep down Levi does too.

"What's so amusing, dear?  You keep smiling and it's starting to creep me out."

I shake my head, clearing it of my thoughts as I'm brought back to reality.  Hanji is eyeing me in amusement as she continues to run her tests.  I realize then that I am grinning like an idiot, and I try to take back control of my emotions.

"Sorry, I was just thinking," I reply.

"About something pleasant, obviously," she smiles.  "Is it Levi?"

I look down at my hands folded in my lap.  I know she probably suspects something, because honestly, we've given her a shitton of hints.  Him inviting me to that party a while back, my near confession to her in the bathroom, and then recently him showing up at the hospital looking for me.  She's the one that brought him up to my room.  I know she knows something is going on between us, but she doesn't know anything for sure, and I can't confirm it for her.

"Alright, alright," she sighs.  "Erwin is the same way whenever I ask him about the two of you, so I get it.  He assured me that the whole deal with that cheerleader is just publicity though.  It's top secret, hush hush, need to know business, and I guess I don't need to know."

I smile up at her, relieved that she understands.

"But the second you two stop tip-toeing around each other, I want details," she says sternly, pointing her pen at me.  "And I will get them, I can promise you that."

I roll my eyes at her.  "Sure, whatever you say, Hanji."

"Alright, kiddo.  You're tests are all clear.  You're free to go.  Have fun at the match tonight."

I hop off the table, grabbing my jacket and backpack and hurrying towards the doors.  "Trust me, I will!"

...

The stadium is so loud I can barely hear my own thoughts.  The sideline is packed with press photographers, but I got there early enough to get a decent spot in the front of the mob.  I manage to catch Levi's eye as the team files out of the tunnels and I offer him a smile.  He returns it, seeming relieved that I am here this time.

When the match starts, my excitement only increases.  The energy in the stands is intense, as is the energy on the field.  Every single man out there is trying their hardest, putting in as much effort as humanly possible.  Both teams want to win.

I cheer loudly in between snapping pictures.  The other photographers stare at me, but I ignore them.  Are any of you guys fucking one of the players?  Yeah, I didn't think so.  So I'm automatically cooler than all of you.  All of you can suck my dick.  Oh wait, one of the players is already doing that for you.

Wow, okay, calm down Jaeger.  With a stupid grin on my face, I focus back on the match, watching as Levi and Eld pull some crazy moves, setting Farlan up perfectly for a shot on goal that sails right into the net.  I cheer loudly, as does the rest of the stadium.  I can't help but laugh as the guys celebrate.  Levi ends up being lifted off his feet when he hugs Farlan, which I find hilarious.  Levi doesn't seem to mind though, all smiles as he races back down the field with his other forwards.  It's a sight that will never get old, and I make sure to capture a dozen pictures of that beautiful smile.

The ball gets set back on the center line, and play resumes.  The match is a close, nerve wracking match.  The New England Revolution ties it up quickly, then takes the lead going into the second half.  I'm holding my breath through most of it, it seems, and I'm surprised that I haven't passed out due to oxygen deprivation.

But the Scouts manage to pull through and win with a score of three to two.  The noise level in the stadium is incredible, and I take a few pictures of the cheering fans.  Even the stuffy photographers behind me cheer a little at the victory.  I myself am ecstatic.  Levi and the rest of the team are celebrating out on the field.  Mike is carrying Levi around, and a bunch of the guys had fallen to the ground when their group hug got a little too crazy.  I take a ton of pictures, capturing the happy sight.  If the guys are this excited after a playoff win, I wonder what it will look like if they win the Cup?  I really hope I get to see that.

After a long while of celebrating, the players finally migrate back into the locker room.  I manage to worm my way through the crowds over to the short fences that lead to the locker room.  I just want to get a few closer pictures of the team, but someone snags my wrist and pulls me between the end of the fence and the wall, and suddenly I'm surrounded by Scouts players.  I see that it's Gunther who is still holding my wrist, pulling me along with the rest of the guys into the locker room.  I look around for Levi, but I don't see him.

When we reach the locker room though and I find myself in the open room with lockers lining the walls, Gunther releases my wrist and I'm suddenly being pushed back against a locker.  Lips meet mine in a searing kiss full of energy and heat, and I almost don't even hear the whistles and cat calls that fill the room.  But I do hear them and they make me blush.  When Levi pulls back from me, I see that his cheeks are still al little flushed and that his eyes are glowing with passion and excitement.  I suddenly regret that I've never been able to join him in the locker room immediately following his victories before.  I usually don't see him until an hour or two after the matches end, after he's had the chance to cool down a little.

The team is still in full celebration mode, laughs and cheers echoing throughout the room.  They throw things at each other, jibe at each other, and all around have a good time.  Levi gets pulled into two separate headlocks, one by Mike and the other by Ian Dietrich, as the discussion buzzing around the room centers on Levi's phenomenal goal scored at the end of the match.  He had been all by himself to face all three defenders and, by some stroke of luck and great skill, had pulled off an incredible move to get by all three of them.  It had involved spinning and sliding and ducking and instantaneous direction changes, but he had pulled it off with ease and dribbled the ball right up to the goal keeper uncontested, scoring the match winning goal.

As the guys change out of their uniforms and shower, the excitement begins to die down.  Levi leaves me alone on a bench to go shower, and I talk with some of the other guys.  They still make me a little nervous, especially now that they know about Levi and I, but I'm starting to feel like I belong with them.  They're making me feel like part of the family, and that gives me hope.  Maybe I can go somewhere with Levi.  Maybe this relationship isn't heading down a dead end road.  Despite so many people finding out about us, Levi still isn't showing any sign of pulling away from me.  So when he enters the locker room again and pulls me into his lap as the team takes their seats on the bench, I can't help but feel some hope that maybe he is warming up to an actual relationship with me, slowly but surely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so announcement: I really regret having to make this decision, and to be completely honest, I'm not sure it will last, but as of now I will no longer be replying to every comment. Of course I will still read them, because I absolutely love hearing from you, your guys' comments make my day, and I will respond to comments that I feel should be addressed whether I have something I just want to say or a question was asked that needs to be answered. It's just that the number of comments I'm getting on each chapter is becoming too much for me to handle. It's taking too much out of me to reply to every single one (and honestly most of the time I have no idea how to respond and end up putting something stupid, so I apologize to everyone I did that too -.-) and I feel like it's starting to take too much time away from actually writing the fic. So I'm really sorry guys! And like I said, I'm not even sure this will last long because I really do like replying to you guys....


	22. Another Startling Secret is Revealed!

**Eren**

With the playoffs in full swing and the Scouts well on their way to the MLS Cup, Levi becomes extremely busy with extended practices and team meetings.  He also had a few more outside obligations, such as press conferences, photo shoots, interviews, and the like, as well as having to make a few public appearances with Petra.

I've also grown ridiculously busy.  I've been entering into more art shows these last few weeks, and the due dates for submissions are coming up soon.  It's also the end of the semester, so finals are right around the corner.  This means even more time spent with Armin in absolute frustration as he tries to explain calculus to me, and long hours with Mikasa preparing for our animal biology presentation and cramming for the final.  I've also been requested to work more hours at the coffee shop because poor Krista got in a really bad car accident last week and broke her leg.  She's in a bulky cast and can't work because of it, so everyone is pulling together to cover her shifts.

So when Levi sends me a text Thursday morning saying that he'll actually have a free night for the first time all week, and asks if I want to come over, I'm so excited that I actually can because my own schedule doesn't conflict.  I can hardly contain my excitement, and go through all my classes that day totally distracted.  But of course, things can never be that easy.

Around lunch time, I start to feel an all too familiar pain blooming in the back of my head.  It's barely even noticeable, just a slight discomfort, and I pray to whoever will listen that it doesn't get any worse.  Nobody is listening though, and by the time eight o'clock rolls around, the time that Levi should be getting out of practice if they don't go longer, I'm bedridden.  Movement is not even possible.  I can barely think.

Armin sits in the dark with me, his skilled fingers messaging at my neck and skull, trying to relieve some of the pain.  That, along with the Vicodin he picked up from Hanji, helps a little, but the pain is still enough to nearly blind me.  I ask him to send a text to Levi for me, telling him exactly what to write, and he does.  After another few minutes of his fingers working against the back of my head, I start to fall asleep.  I feel him stand from the bed and leave the room, closing the door softly behind him.

I try not to think too much about Levi, and how disappointed I am that I can't spend the night with him.  I try not to think too much about how the next playoff match is in two nights, and that I very well could still be in this bed when that time arrives.  But mostly, I try not to think about how much I wish Levi was here with me right now, holding me and whispering sweet words of comfort in my ear.

 

**Levi**

**From: Shitty Brat**  
**Have a killer migraine. Can't come over tonight. Rain check?**  
**8:11PM**

I read the message again for the hundredth time, sitting in my car parked in the parking lot of Eren's complex.  It's been over an hour since I got the message.  I remember him saying that migraines are a symptom of his hemophilia, and that they usually last a few days.  I haven't seen the brat since Saturday morning, so I wonder how long he's had this one already, or if it just started.  Either way, here I am, sitting in my car, deciding whether I should go up there or not.  I don't know what possessed me to buy a tub of ice cream and drive out to his apartment, but here I am, and if I don't make up my mind quickly, the ice cream is going to melt.  Why the fuck did I buy him ice cream again?  Will that even help?  What if it makes it worse?  Ice cream always gives me a brain freeze.  What the fuck was I thinking?

"Fuck it," I grumble to myself, grabbing the plastic bag and climbing out of the car.

I walk up the four flights of stairs, then down the hall to Eren's apartment.  I knock on the door, then fidget with my hood and sunglasses when someone passes me in the hall.  Fuck, I hate going out in public.  It's always so obnoxious.

The door opens and Eren's sister is standing there, looking me over.  Even though she knows that Eren and I have been not exclusively, but still kind of exclusively seeing each other, I think it's still a weird thought for her that her brother and I are on such intimate terms.  Especially when I come over to their apartment.  She still sees me as a celebrity.  Her eyes look me over, then at the bag in my hand, before letting me inside.

The apartment is dark for the most part, the only light being from the one hanging above the kitchen table where the blonde kid is doing his homework.  Well, was doing his homework.  Now he's staring at me.  I think he's on the same page as Eren's sister.

Removing my sunglasses and hood and kicking my shoes off by the door, I look over at the girl who's still standing by the closed door.  "Where is Eren?"

"He has a-"

"A migraine, I know.  He texted me.  I just wanted to bring him this," I tell her, holding up the bag.

"Well, he was sleeping, but he might be awake now.  He can't usually sleep for very long when he has these," the blonde says, standing from the table.  He walks around the bar and into the kitchen, grabbing two spoons before handing them to me.  "He's in his room."

I nod and make my way to the door I know leads to Eren and the blonde's room.  I quietly open the door and step into the dark room.  As my eyes adjust, I look over at Eren's bed to see a tuft of hair sticking out from underneath a mound of blankets.  He doesn't move when I enter.  Placing the ice cream and spoons quietly on his desk, I carefully crawl onto the bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping form.  I wrap my arm around the boy's waist and nuzzle the back of his neck.

Eren turns his head, peeking open a tired eye.  "Levi?" he murmurs under his breath.

"Shh, go back to sleep," I say, trying to keep my tone quiet.

"What are you doing here?" he asks, struggling to roll over and bury his face in my chest.

"I came to see you, brat.  And I brought you ice cream," I tell him.

He pulls back from me with wide eyes, then slowly sits up with a pained wince, looking around.  His eyes lock on the plastic bag on his desk.  He reaches over me for it, but knocks the spoons from the desk and they clatter to the floor.  He cringes, his face screwing up into an expression of pure pain as his hands press into the sides of his head.  I quickly sit up and gently pull him into me.  This damned brat is making me so soft.

When his face relaxes again, he sighs into my shirt.  I pick up the spoons and wipe them off before popping the top off the tub of ice cream.  He immediately digs in, taking a large spoonful of the ice cream and licking at it.  He hums, his eyes drifting closed.

"Thank you," he breathes.  "Ice cream helps a lot actually.  How did you know?"

"Lucky guess I suppose."

We're quiet for a long time as Eren slowly eats the ice cream, which I guess is good because I'm sure he's not a big fan of noise right now.  And that's fine with me.  I've never been much of a talker anyway.  Eren does a good job at hiding his pain, but I can still see it, and I can still sense it in the way his body is so tense against mine.  It makes me upset that he's obviously in so much pain, and yet there is nothing I can do about it.

When he finishes eating, he lays back down in bed, burying himself beneath the covers.  I start to stand, but his hand grabs my wrist, keeping me there next to him.  One beautiful green eye peeks out at me from beneath the blankets.

"Please stay?" he asks me quietly.

"I'm not going anywhere, brat," I retort.  "But I need to put that ice cream in the freezer before it melts all over your desk."

He releases my hand and I grab the tub, taking it out into the kitchen to put it away.  Armin and Mikasa watch me, but they don't say anything, even when I head back towards Eren's room.  I enter quietly, then shed my jacket before climbing back into bed with him.  I wrap my arm around his waist and he scoots back into me.

"You're being awfully cuddly for someone who doesn't cuddle," he says in a teasing tone.  It makes me happy to hear him joking even while he's suffering.  He's strong, and he won't let things like this break him.

"Shut up, before I change my mind and leave," I growl into his neck.

His hand grips my arm wrapped around his waist.  I sigh, pressing soft kisses to the back of his neck.

"I won't leave you," I promise him.  "I'll stay right here with you."

He seems happy with that, and it's not too much later that he falls asleep.  My first thought is to sneak out while he's asleep, but I decide that that's a stupid idea.  I want to be here when he wakes up, whether that's in an hour or tomorrow morning.  So I get comfortable, my arm hanging loosely over his waist and my nose tucked into the soft hair on the back of his head.

In the silence of his room, I'm left with only my thoughts.  I'm getting so close with this brat.  I never would've even dreamed of doing this to anyone else.  There are so many things that I've done since meeting Eren that I never would've done before.  There are so many feelings and emotions I've felt towards the brat that are new and foreign to me.  I don't even want to know what they mean, I don't want to piece them together.  So I shut them out.  I force them out of my mind and try to concentrate on thinking about something else.  The next match of playoffs is on Saturday.  The team is very good, but I'm confident that we'll win.  Especially if this brat in my arms is on the sidelines, cheering me on.

...

The match is a good one.  The close score the entire match gets my adrenaline racing.  Eren stands on the sidelines, despite still having a little bit of a headache.  I tried to convince him not to come since it would be bright and loud, but he insisted, claiming that his headache was almost gone.  But he wears a pair of heavily shaded sunglasses, ear plugs, and noise cancelling headphones over those.  He still looks a little uncomfortable, but he's excited as he cheers and takes pictures.  Honestly, I'm glad he's here, which is a confusing feeling.

The match ends in a tie, which means we have to pull out a win in the second half of the round.  I'll have to worry about that tomorrow night, but right now, I'm more focused on the brat sitting on the locker room benches, scanning through his pictures as I get ready to head home.  He's insisting on coming home with me, and honestly, who am I to deny him?  We don't have to do anything if he's still hurting, and I reassured him of that, but he's insisting that we can still have some fun anyway.  I'm a little wary, but decide to let him set the pace.

As we walk out to my car, Eren is still scanning through his pictures.  "Can we stop by the Trost Daily office first?" he asks me as we climb in.  "I need to drop off my pass for Marco to give to the guy that's following you guys to the away match tomorrow.  He said he wants it back tonight."

"Sure," I reply.

We drive quickly through town, Eren giving me directions to the small office.  I fidget nervously as I wait in the parking lot for Eren to return.  People eye my car, but luckily the heavily tinted windows hide my face from them.  It doesn't make me any less anxious that someone will know who I am though.  Fortunately, Eren is quick to return, climbing into the passenger's seat.  Something seems off, but I can't put my finger on what it could be.  Eren seems fine, but it feels like something is... missing.

"So you guys are going to have to work really hard to pull off a win tomorrow night," Eren says as I pull out of the parking lot.

"We will, but I have faith in my team.  They may have home field advantage tomorrow, but I have a good feeling," I reply.  It's true.  I can't explain it, but I just have a gut feeling that everything will turn out alright tomorrow.  We usually beat this team in the regular season.  And we shouldn't have ended in a tie today.  We were a little off as a team as a whole, and they seemed very on their game.  Tomorrow should be better.

When we get back to my apartment, Eren decides that he's not really up for anything sexual.  I offer him some Tylenol and he takes it without question.  We end up on the couch, Eren's head in my lap, as we watch a movie.  It's relaxing, especially after an exhausting match.  As I stare down at Eren, my fingers moving through his hair, I finally realize what had felt so off when Eren got back in my car at the Trost Daily office.

"Eren?  Where's your camera?" I ask him.

He sits up, looking confused before his green eyes widen.  "Shit.  I left it on my desk at Trost Daily," he realizes.

"Do you want to go back and get it?"

He shakes his head, laying back down.  "No.  I don't need it.  Marco doesn't need my pictures from tonight's match until tomorrow night.  He wants to publish my pictures with the pictures from the second half of the round together," he explains to me.  "I can go get it tomorrow."

I nod and we focus back on the movie.  After a while, I think Eren has fallen asleep, but then suddenly his fingers are working at the zipper of my jeans.

"Eren," I warn, stopping his hand.  "I thought you said not tonight."

"I know, but it's been forever since I've seen it.  I just want to taste it," he says, turning his head so he can look up at me.

I raise an eyebrow at him.  "It's only been a week," I point out.

"Yeah, that's forever.  Please Levi?  I miss daddy's cock.  Please let me taste it," he begs, flashing me those pouty green eyes and god damn it I just can't refuse him.

When he reaches for my zipper again, I don't stop him this time.  "Just don't hurt yourself," I tell him.  "Stop if you want to."

"Okay daddy," he purrs, unbuttoning my jeans.

His long fingers slip inside my jeans, through the flap of my boxer briefs.  When they come into contact with my already hardening cock, I let out an involuntary moan.  He pulls my length from its confines, then eases down onto his knees between my legs.  My hands instinctively fall to his hair, threading through the soft locks.  He gives me a few long strokes with his hand, making me fully hard, then his tongue is swirling around my head.  I fight the urge to throw my head back as he takes the head into his mouth.  I want to watch him as that mouth of his works wonders on my throbbing cock.

I watch his face as best I can.  Despite how he's nearly cleared my head of any coherent though, I still manage to remain worried about him.  I watch him for any signs that he's in more pain than he's letting on.  But he seems fine.  In fact, he seems more than fine.  He looks like he's thoroughly enjoying sucking my dick.  With his nose buried in the hair at the base of my cock, he moans.  The vibrations seem to buzz through my entire body, leaving me a groaning, panting mess.  My fingers are fisted in his hair, and I have to force myself not to pull too hard.  But when I slip up and tug on his hair, he lets out another throaty moan that has me writhing beneath him.  Fuck he's only done this a handful of times before.  How did he get so god damn perfect at it?

I don't try to hold back my orgasm like I normally do.  I don't want to drag this out any longer than possible.  Don't get me wrong, I never want this to fucking end.  Having his beautiful, warm mouth wrapped around my cock, sucking and licking... fuck I could do this forever.  But I don't want to draw this out in case Eren is being a little shit and hiding how much he's hurting from me.  So when he deep throats me again, giving a long suck, I come down his throat.  He almost chokes, but manages to swallow every drop, continuing to milk me as I ride out my orgasm.  He releases my softening cock and looks up at me, licking his lips.

I clean myself, and Eren, up and we curl back up on the couch.  Eren turns his attention back to the movie, seeming content.  I can't focus on the television screen though.  All those stupid feelings and emotions that I've been fighting for a while are coming back.  It takes all of my concentration to ignore them and to bury them down deep, especially with Eren resting against my side, his fingers trailing lightly across my thigh.  Why does this brat have to make things so difficult?  And why does he make me so... happy?

...

The next morning, I wake to the shrill ring of my phone.  I quickly fumble for it, answering it and putting it to my ear before it can wake Eren.  This better be fucking important.

"What?" I growl under my breath, climbing out of bed and heading out into the front room.

 _"It's me,"_ Isabel's voice says, and she sounds tense.  It immediately puts me on alert, but before I can ask what's wrong, she continues.  _"Have you seen the front page of Trost Daily yet?"_

"No, why?" I question.  I'm starting to get really confused now.  That's Eren's newspaper, isn't it?  I wonder what got published that has her so nervous.

_"Go read it.  I'm on my way now.  We'll talk about it when I get there.  Just... don't do anything stupid, Levi."_

She hangs up before I have a chance to reply.  I stare at the blank screen of my phone for a long minute.  I'm really concerned now.  What the hell is going on?  Deciding that the only way to figure out what's going on is to read the front page of Trost Daily, I toss my phone onto the kitchen bar, then pull on a pair of shoes before heading into the elevator.  I can pick up a newspaper from the front lobby.

When I reach the ground floor, I cross over to the small rack holding stacks of newspapers from all the local and regional publishers.  I grab a copy of Trost Daily, then head back for the elevator.  Flipping the paper over, I freeze mid step in shock.  I stare at the full page picture for a long minute before anger starts to replace the shock.  Stepping back onto the elevator, I slam my key into the slot and hit my button.

 _'Scouts Striker Secretly Gay'_ is the headline of the front page article, and the full page picture is that damn picture Eren took of us, the one of him kissing my cheek.  I never told him, but I loved this picture.  We look like we could be a real couple.  The picture only captured our happiness, and not the underlying issues preventing us from actually being officially together.  But now I hate it.

This is Eren's picture, there's no doubt about that.  It was on his personal camera.  I should've made him delete it the second he took it, but I figured that no one would see it but him.  Apparently I was wrong.  And I can only think of one way that Trost Daily, Eren's newspaper, got a hold of a private picture from his personal camera.  The thought has me seething as I step out of the elevator onto my floor.

I flip the paper over to read the actual article.  It goes on in depth about mine and Eren Jaeger's apparent relationship.  It refers back to the article published a few weeks ago.  I only get more angry as I read further into the article that's outing me to the world.  I can't hide anymore.  No amount of refuting and denying will convince people that this picture isn't what it seems.  He's kissing my fucking cheek.  Both of our hair is tousled, and it's obvious that neither of us are wearing a shirt.  Any moron can put two and two together and deduce that we had just been having sex.  And the way I'm looking at him... god fucking damn it.

As my anger threatens to overwhelm me, I also can't help but feel betrayed.  Why would he do this?  Did he take this picture solely to use it to out me?  I know that I've been beating my feelings away with a stick, but I won't deny that I had started feeling something for Eren, and I know without a doubt that he has strong feelings for me.  Or at least, I thought he did.  Maybe he doesn't.  Maybe he's been playing me this whole time.

When I hear footsteps coming down the hallway, that anger comes back full force.  He looks startled as I spin around to face him.

"Levi?  What's wrong?" he questions, starting to move closer to me.

"Don't play dumb," I snap at him.  He hesitates, shocked at my outburst.  "What the fuck is this?"

I hold up the paper and I swear all the color from his face drains.  His wide eyes take in the picture, and he swallows hard.  "Levi, you can't think that I-"

"I can, and I do," I cut him off.  "I know this is your picture.  This is your publisher.  What else am I supposed to think?"

He looks hurt at my accusation, but right now I don't really give a fuck.  He betrayed me.  That's all that's running through my head right now.  It's the only coherent thought I can make.  He betrayed me.

"Levi, please-"

"Just shut up," I growl at him.  "I trusted you with this.  After everything we've..." I cut myself off before it gets too emotional.  I don't want him to know about the feelings I've been fighting, especially now.  "Get out."

He looks even more hurt, and like he's about to panic.  "Why won't you let me explain?" he demands in desperation, his voice raising.

"Because you don't seem to understand how bad this is!" I shout back at him.  "Do you understand what will happen to me now?  My career is over.  Zackly could be calling up Isabel right now to tell her that he's terminating my contract.  He could be calling Erwin right now to tell him to find a new striker.  And no other team will hire me, because who wants a fag on their starting lineup?  Soccer is my life, and you've taken that away from me."

"Levi, it wasn't me-"

"I said shut up!  I don't want to hear your pathetic lies.  We're done.  I don't want to see your face ever again.  Now get out of my apartment," I demand of him.  Fuck, why does it hurt so much to say that?  He's just been another fuck buddy.  That's all.  I told myself a long time ago that I'd have to do this eventually.  Well, here it is.  I had just been hoping to do it under better circumstances.  Really, I shouldn't have let this continue as long as it has.

Anger starts to replace the shock in his eyes as he fists his hands at his sides.  Anger and pain.  "Fine.  Fine, if you won't listen to me, and if you honestly think I could do something like this, then fine.  I'll leave.  I'll stay out of your life.  Go back to being a whore and fucking every man that spreads their legs for you.  I was stupid to think that this could actually work, that this could actually become something.  I won't make that mistake again.  Because you know what?  There is someone else that is interested in me, and they don't want to use me as just some fuck toy.  So maybe I'll go take him up on his offer.  I'll go on dates, I'll fall in love, I'll get married, and I'll have a family one day, and you'll be all alone for the rest of your life, running from commitment and pushing away anyone who ever dares to care about you."

I'm frozen in shock at his words.  Each one cuts me like a razor, leaving wounds deep inside that he can't see.  I can't even respond to his tirade.  Not a single word comes into my head as he pulls on his shoes and enters the elevator.  I watch him walk out of my life, not tearing my eyes from those beautiful green depths so full of pain until the doors close, removing him completely from my life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DON'T HATE ME I'M SO SORRY. But this was the scene that first came to my head when I first thought up this story. It was from this scene that the entire fic was born. It was from the idea that celebrities and the press don't mix well, and that a relationship between the two would be full of bumps and hardships. BUT THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE FIC. THERE IS MORE. SO MUCH MORE. SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME.
> 
> I'm on [Tumblr](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/).
> 
> EDIT: Ohmygod I almost forgot!!! Again!!! But the wonderful linnea-sama on Tumblr drew me some amazing [fanart](http://linnea-sama.tumblr.com/post/117673737022/) from chapter 13! (It's nsfw so be warned) but it's so great! Thank you hun!! It took me so long to find it because somehow the mature content filter was on on my fotp tag??? Like seriously??? Sorry about that hun but I love it! Thank you!


	23. Jealousy Consumes Star Soccer Player!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY BUT THIS CHAPTER IS ANGSTY FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. I PROMISE I WON'T DRAG THIS OUT LONGER THAN NECESSARY THOUGH. I PROMISE. I'M SORRY.
> 
> Okay and on a side note, can I just say how much I love you guys? I read every single comment and honestly you all made my night. Some of you begged, some even prayed. AND SOME OF YOU MONSTERS TRIED TO BLAME MARCO??? NO MY BABIES, NO. MY SWEET CINNAMON ROLL FRECKLED JESUS DID NOT DO THIS. I'M JUST GONNA PUT THAT OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.
> 
> Also sorry for the late update. I've had a crazy busy week and this chapter needed a lot of edits which I wasn't able to complete on time.

**Levi**

I'm still staring at the elevator doors, the newspaper crumpled in my fist, when they open and Isabel steps out.  She seems wary as she enters my apartment.

"So you read the article," she hesitantly starts.

"Yeah, I read it," I reply, my tone short as I snap out of my haze.  I throw the newspaper down on the kitchen island, then lean my hands on the cold counter top.

"What do you want to do?" she asks, remaining in the entry way, watching me nervously.

I snort.  "What is there to do?  The article has been published.  All there is left now is to sit back and wait for the shitstorm that's bound to follow."

"You should call Eren and-"

"He just left," I cut her off.  My jaw clenches at the name and at the emotions that swell within me.

Her eyes widen in worry and her breath catches.  "What did you do?" she breathes, her tone thick with despair.

"I threw his ass out," is my simple reply.  Do we really have to talk about him right now?  I don't want to think about him or the yelling match we just had.

"Levi," she gasps in disbelief, finally stepping further into the room.  "Do you honestly think he was responsible for this?"

I spin on her, unable to contain my anger any more.  "Who else, Isabel?  That's his picture!  He had me take him to the Trost Daily office last night!  He must've given that photograph to one of the reporters.  How could I have been so stupid?"

"No, Levi," she snaps at me, her voice hard in a tone I've never heard from her before.  "No past tense.  You're being stupid right now.  Did you not see how much that boy loves you?  If not, then you're the only one.  He would never betray you like this.  You know that, Levi, you're just letting your anger get the better of you."  She exhales sharply, running a hand through her hair as she shakes her head, seemingly in disbelief.  "I should've known he was over here.  I should've had you wait to read that article until after I got here.  I would've kept you from ripping that poor boy apart."

"He betrayed me, Isabel!" I shout at her, unable to believe that she's choosing his side over mine.  "I trusted him and he-"

"Never once betrayed that trust!" she shouts back.  She walks right up to me, getting right in my face.  "Listen to yourself, Levi!  What could he _possibly_ hope to gain from outing you to the world?  He had a lot more to lose."

I don't reply to that.  I don't know why he did it, but who else could've done it?  I take a step back from her, then walk over to the couch and sit down heavily, dropping my head into my hands.  The uncomfortable silence stretches and I try not to think about the heated words Eren and I exchanged.  Some of the things he said to me....  Shit, why am I getting so worked up about it?  I've had worse things said to me before and I've never let it faze me.

But I realize that it's not even the harsh words he said to me that's bothering me the most.  It's something else he said.  It's something else entirely that's eating me alive.

"He's going to start seeing someone else," I find myself telling Isabel, my head still resting in my hands.

The silence continues for a long minute before she speaks.  "What?"

"There is someone else that's interested in him.  He's going to date him.  Actually date."

"Levi..." she murmurs, kneeling down in front of me.

I can't stand the pity in her eyes though.  I stand and move away from her, leaning my hands on the wall.  I'm not even in control of myself when I punch the wall with as much force as I can muster, making her startle.  My fist finds a stud, and although there is no damage done to the wall, the same can't be said for my hand.  But I don't even give a fuck right now.

Isabel's hand on my arm keeps me from punching the wall again.  She turns me around and I'm being pulled into an embrace.

"Levi, why are you so upset about him seeing someone else?" she asks, and her tone leads me to believe that she's trying to go somewhere with this question.

"I don't know," I reply quickly.  I really don't want to talk about this anymore.

"Bullshit.  Why are you so upset that he's going on a date?" she presses.

"Because he's mine!"

We're both quiet and it takes me a moment to realize what I just said.  It shocks me to my core.  All those emotions and feelings I had been fighting so hard to bury come rushing up to the surface so fast and so suddenly that it nearly knocks me over.  But try as I might, I can't force them back down anymore.  I can't deny them.  They're here, on the surface, and they demand to be known.

"Because he's mine, and I don't share!" I shout.  The adrenaline leaves me all at once and I collapse back into the wall, sliding down to the ground.  There's a burning in my eyes that's unfamiliar to me.  Why are my cheeks wet?  "Because I love him, Isabel.  I love him.  I love him...."

She kneels down in front of me, taking my face in her hands.  Her thumbs wipe away the tears from my cheeks.  "I know you do, Levi.  I've known for a long time."

"But I've lost him, Isabel," I murmur, drawing in a shaky breath.  "I've lost him."

"No, Levi, you can still-"

"No," I growl, hastily wiping my eyes with my arm.  "Nothing has changed.  I still can't be with him, especially not after that article got published."

"Why not, Levi?  You're out now.  You wouldn't even have to hide it anymore.  You two can finally be together," she insists.  "Why are you giving up?"

"I'm not giving up.  It's just dangerous right now.  We don't even know how this news will be handled by the public.  It's best if I put some distance between us," I tell her.  "And I don't think he wants to be with me anymore anyway.  He's right.  He deserves someone who can treat him right, who can actually take him on dates, someone who can be in a real relationship with him.  If he wants to see this other guy, then I won't stand in his way.  It's what he deserves.  He deserves better than a sex addicted man with commitment issues."

She looks so pained that I can't look her in the eye.  "Levi-"

"My decision is final.  I don't want to talk about him anymore.  I'm done," I say, standing.  "I have to get ready to leave anyway.  I have a plane to catch."

 

**Eren**

I can hardly see past my tears as I leave Levi's apartment building.  Hailing a cab, I manage to give the man my address before completely breaking down.

Why am I getting so upset over this?  I knew this was going to happen eventually.  I knew that what Levi and I had wouldn't last forever.  I knew it was only a matter of time before something would separate us.  But why did it have to be this?  Had it been too much to hope that we would part on good terms, even maybe remaining friends after?  Apparently it was.  I'm sure he hates me right now, and for something that isn't even my fault.

How did that picture get published?  That was supposed to be my own private picture.  No one was supposed to see that.  It was never supposed to leave my camera- my camera!  I left it at the Trost Daily office last night.  Someone must've gone through my pictures and found that one.  Fuck, how could I be so stupid?  I should've had Levi take me back to go get it last night when he asked.  Maybe then all of this could've been prevented.

But it's all too late.  Levi's career could be over, and he never wants to see my face ever again.

Why did I have to do this to myself?  Why did I have to fall in love with the one person who I knew it would never work out with?  This is all my damn fault.  If I didn't have these stupid feelings for him, I wouldn't be in this position right now.  Too bad you can't control who you fall in love with.  Because yeah, I'm so in love with that man it's gross.  I've known I loved him for a while, but I didn't think much of it.  I assumed that I could just hide it, and when things ended between us, that they would just go away.  I've never been so wrong about anything in all my life.  Because those feelings aren't going away, and fuck they hurt so much.

When I get to my apartment, I pay the cab driver and climb out.  I don't know what I'm going to say to Mikasa and Armin, because quite frankly I'm a blubbering mess and there's no way I can hide it from them.  But right now I really don't care about that.  Let them ask.  Maybe they saw the article and they will assume what happened.  I hope so, because I really can't talk about this right now.  To anyone.  I just want to crawl into bed and ignore the world and it's unfairness.

So when I enter my apartment, I push past Armin and Mikasa and all their startled questions, and do exactly that.

...

The responses to the article are instantaneous.  Everyone is talking about it.  Apparently Darius Zackly is refusing to comment on the article until after playoffs, and Erwin and the rest of the team are following his lead.  Well I guess it's good that Levi will at least be able to play out the rest of the season.  But while most of the talk is about Levi, I'm discovering that a lot of people are talking about me as well.  My face was in that picture and my name was printed in the article, so everyone knows who I am.  At my afternoon shift at the coffee house, people keep staring at me and whispering to each other.  Most are just curious, but others seem to hate me.  I keep hearing words like 'corrupted' and 'forced' and 'brainwashed'.  They seem to think that I tricked Levi into being gay, and that it's all my fault.  I try to ignore them as best as I can though.  If only they knew all the shit _Levi_ had done to _me_ over the course of our sexual relationship.  Levi had absolutely been in charge when it came to the bedroom.  I didn't force him to do anything.  I didn't corrupt him.  He was tying up men long before he met me.

But I don't say any of this.  It's best if I just ignore it, despite how badly I want to punch people every time I hear their whispers.  The whispering and looks follow me everywhere, too.  There's no escaping it.  The entire gang decided to go to Maria Bar tonight to watch the second half of the match, and although I am still in a shitty mood after what happened this morning, I agree to go with them.  I assumed that some beers and watching the Scouts match would be good, but boy was I wrong.  Because here I am, sitting at the table with all my friends, nursing a beer and trying to tune out the incessant murmuring.

My friends all seem super supportive of me though, which makes things a little better.  Marco keeps apologizing every opportunity he gets, saying that he had no control over that article, and if he had seen it before it got published, he would've shut it down.  Surprisingly, Jean is also pretty apologetic.  Apparently, he saw the writer of the article looking through my camera last night, but he didn't say anything.  I assure them that it's alright, that it wasn't their fault.  It was mine after all.  Levi may be wrong about me being the one that submitted that picture, but he's right that I can be blamed.  I was careless, which makes this partially my fault.

At halftime, I head to the bar to grab a few more beers for the table.  I'm carefully working my way back across the room, skillfully holding five glasses of beer in my hands, when someone shoves me from behind.  I stumble, and all five glasses fall to the ground and shatter.

"Watch where you're going, faggot," a voice snarls, and I whip around, a fist raised.

Reiner appears at my side then with a hand on my raised arm, facing the fucktard that shoved me.  "Any problems you have with my friend, you can take up with me, buddy," he practically growls.  "So would you care to say that again?"

I hate when people try to protect me, or try to fight my fights, because it makes me feel weak, but at the same time I'm grateful when they do.  Anger problems and hemophilia don't mix very well.  I totally would've tried to fight that guy, and I most likely would've gotten hurt and would've had to take a trip to the hospital.  But when Reiner steps in, dwarfing the smaller man, he scares him off and saves me from having to pay Hanji a visit tonight.

"Thanks," I murmur to him as we walk back up to the bar to get more drinks.

"Don't mention it," he replies.  "It's sick how people treat others sometimes.  Hell, they should all be jealous of you, not angry.  You've been fucking a celebrity.  The hot shit that _is_ Levi Ackerman.  _I'm_ jealous, dude.  I'm sorry I ever teased you about that last article."

His words hurt, reminding me of what I had before it was all suddenly ripped away from me, but they also make me laugh a little.  "Don't let Bert hear you say that."

He laughs as well as we make our way back to the tables.  The night continues as it started.  I try to focus on the object of all my painful affections winning the match on the numerous television screens, but the murmurs and whispers distract me more than I'd like to admit.  No one else dares to touch me though.  Reiner told the others about what happened at the bar and now I seem to have my own personal defense squad.  Reiner and Jean sit on either side of me, and the combined lethality of Mikasa, Annie, and Ymir's glares scare everyone away.  I've never been so grateful for all my friends before.  I'm just glad that they all support me and are willing to try and protect me from the prying eyes of the public.

...

My personal defense squad isn't around all the time though.  During most of my days, I'm by myself.  When I go back to school Monday morning to start the grueling week of finals, I quickly realize that, although fewer college students seem to care than adults, the ones that do are much more forward about it than the adults are.  People call me names, shout obscenities at me in public, throw things at me in classrooms, and all around make my life hell.  Hannes tries to help, but there's only so much he can do.

When Thomas approaches me after our drawing final, I get a sinking feeling in my gut.  What does he have to say?  Is he mad?  Is he going to yell at me like everyone else has?  I brace myself for the heated words to come as he holds up a newspaper, that damned article front and center.

"Is this why you wouldn't give me an answer?" he asks, and I'm shocked by how soft and genuinely curious his tone is.

It takes me a minute to overcome my surprise and hesitantly nod.  "Yes.  I couldn't tell you I was already seeing someone else, because our relationship was confidential.  I was trying to decide if I should just leave him and start a real relationship with you, and trust me I was very much considering it, but I couldn't make that decision.  I'm so sorry, Thomas."

"Hey, don't sweat it, Eren," he says with a smile.  "If I was with someone like Ackerman, I wouldn't have been very willing to let that go either.  Are you two still together?"

I grit my teeth and only manage a small shake of my head, indicating that no, we are not together anymore.

He sighs.  "I'm sorry to hear that.  I won't rub salt in the wound by trying to catch you on the rebound, but just know that if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Again I'm shocked by his words and the concern in his tone.  I think back to what I said to Levi before I walked out of his life like he wanted me to.  I told him that I was going to take Thomas up on his offer.  But when I go to say the words, to reassure him that he wouldn't be rubbing salt in the wound by asking me out again, I find that I can't.  Maybe I just need a little bit of time.  Yeah, I mean, this was practically a break up between Levi and I.  I need a little time to recover.

I don't go to any of the Scouts practices anymore.  I wouldn't be surprised if I'm not allowed to attend them anymore anyway.  Levi said he doesn't want to see my face anymore, after all.  I'm sure he told security to not let me in.  It hurts, going so long without seeing Levi.  I find that, as the week drags on, I miss him terribly.  I wish all of this would just go away and that we could go back to where we were before that stupid article got published.  But there is no going back.  What's done is done.  The blow has been dealt and the damage taken.  Now I just have to learn to overcome the pain and move on with my life.  My only consolation in this whole shitfest is that the reporter that stole my picture and published the article was fired.  He broke laws by stealing the picture, and if I was so inclined, I could probably sue him on top of pressing charges for theft of property.  Mental and emotional trauma from the harassment and all that.

My parents have been trying to get in contact with me ever since the article released.  I ignore their calls, sending my mom a simple text to tell them that I'm okay and not to try calling me.  I don't want to talk to them about this.  They didn't know I was gay, and I was really hoping it wouldn't come out to them like this.  To have them find out due to a newspaper article showing me together with a celebrity?  And now with all of this gossip going around about how I corrupted that celebrity and tricked him into sleeping with me?  I just can't talk to them about this whole mess right now.  On top of ignoring their calls, I decide not to go home for the winter break.  Mikasa supports my decision and decides to stay with me in Trost.  Armin also tells me that he's staying in Trost as well, giving the excuse that he needs to keep working at the hospital, but I know that he's worried about me.

When the second half of the next round rolls around, and the Scouts are back in Trost to hopefully win this next round, I'm nervous.  I'm still assigned to photograph the home matches, so I have to go.  Marco offered to take me off this assignment, but I don't want that.  This may be my only way to see Levi in person now.  So I'm going to make the most of the opportunity.

I enter the stadium and try to find a place amongst the mass of photographers in the designated corner.  I end up on the very end of the space, closest to the sideline benches.  I'm still a long distance from the players though, lots of equipment and other stadium staff between me and them.  I try not to look over at them.  How do they feel about me, I wonder?  They were all so supportive of Levi and I, and they all treated me like a part of the family.  But has that changed now?  I'm sure they all hate me as much as Levi probably does.  Levi thinks I betrayed him, and that's probably how the rest of the guys feel.

I try not to think about it too much though, instead focusing on taking pictures of the packed stands and of the players as they take the field.  I notice a thick bandage around Levi's right hand and wonder for a moment what happened to him.  But that's not really any of my business anymore....

I try to ignore the murmurs from the other press photographers that I'm crammed in with.  It's hard to ignore when we're all pretty much standing on top of each other though.  We're packed into this corner like sardines, and every word the fuckers surrounding me murmur, I hear.

The match starts, and it seems to calm them down a little, their attention is on the match instead of on me.  But unfortunately it doesn't last long.

**Levi**

My head hasn't been in the match at all tonight, but there's nothing I can really do to fix that.  I try to focus and play my best, but it's hard when the memory of a certain pair of pained green eyes are burned into my mind right now.  It was hard enough during practice, but now at the match, I have a feeling Eren is here, and it's taking every ounce of self control I have not to scan the sidelines for him.  Because if I know he's here, if I see him in the crowd, it'll all be over for me.

This week has been a nightmare as far as dealing with the press and the public.  Defamatory and offensive things have been said about me.  Stories posted online and on social media are making me out to be a disgusting homo, and a pedophile, and a shame to soccer, and a bad influence to the children.  All because I'm gay and engaged in a relationship with a younger man.  Fuck all of them.  By the end of the week, I've had it with the press.  They're all a bunch of homophobic bigots with nothing better to do than to smear my name.  I've even had people try to physically attack me the one time I went out in public.  Farlan and Mike were with me, and they managed to fend the fuckers off, but it still scared Isabel enough to lecture me about staying out of the public at all times until this blows over.

On another note, Zackly is furious.  He and Erwin were on the phone for hours discussing my contract and what to do with me.  Erwin managed to convince Zackly to at least keep me on the team until the end of the season.  He convinced him that I am our only hope of winning the Cup this season.  I think that's a bit of an overstatement, but if it keeps me on the team then so be it.  Zackly begrudgingly agreed to keep me on the team until the season ended, and Erwin promised me that he'd use that time to convince Zackly to not kick me off the team at the end of the season.  My brothers on the team have also showed their overwhelming support through all of this.  After finding out that Eren wasn't responsible, I decided not to tell any of them where the picture came from, that it was Eren's picture, and none of them ask.  My lawyers told me that, after speaking with the Editor in Chief of Trost Daily, that a writer was fired after admitting to stealing that photograph off of Eren's camera.  They don't push me to talk about it, and whenever the press showed up at the stadium during practices, they go beyond their duty as friends and teammates to create a big scene and scare the reporters away.

But none of that compares to the hell I've been dealing with in regards to my emotional state.  I can't get that brat out of my head.  I know I told Isabel that it is best if I keep Eren out of my life, that it is best if we go our separate ways for good, but it's getting harder and harder for me to understand why I feel that way.  Especially now that I know he wasn't responsible for leaking that photograph.  I catch myself wondering why it would be a bad idea to be with Eren.  I catch myself thinking about ways we could be together.  I keep catching myself trying to convince myself that I don't need to keep Eren out of my life, and I keep having to remind myself why I decided not to chase after him to begin with.

That's why I'm struggling out here on the field.  I know Eren is within arm's reach.  I know he's here, and I know that it would be so easy for me to go to him and apologize and beg for him to come back.  But I can't.  I can't drag him into the nightmare that I'm living right now.  He would become as much of a target as I have become and I can't risk him getting hurt.

And I also remember what he said to me, about taking another man up on his offer.  I've never felt so jealous in my entire life, and it's all over that brat and his new boyfriend.  Every time I think of Eren, I can't help but picture him with someone else, a faceless stranger.  I imagine him going out to dinner with someone else, kissing someone else, fucking someone else, and it drives me crazy.  But there is nothing I can do about it.  I was the one who forced him out of my life.  I was the one who jumped to conclusions too soon.  I was the one who accused him with no proof.  I was the one who refused to let him explain.  I was the one who drove him into the arms of another, and I'm going to have to live with that, as hard as it may be.

It's a damn good thing that Farlan, Eld, and Mike are having an amazing night, and that the other team is struggling in the away environment, because I'm so out of it.  It was the same with the second half of the last round, and the first half of this one.  Without the exceptional skill of the rest of my team, we would've been eliminated last week, and we would've lost last night's match.  They have all made up for my lack of focus.  By the time the first half of the match comes to an end, it's two to nothing Scouts, Eld and Farlan having scored a goal each, and Mike having made three incredible saves.

The second half is just starting when I notice a commotion at the bench.  I am running down the sidelines when Erwin suddenly stops shouting instructions at me.  I look back over my shoulder to see him running down the sideline towards the mob of press in the corner of the field.  I'm confused for half a second before I realize what's happening.  That's Eren.  And he's being shoved by a few other reporters.  One man sends a particularly hard shove to his shoulder and Eren falls to the ground.

Anger floods my entire being, and I'm seeing red as I quickly change direction.  I'm going to kill them for touching Eren.  I will rip every one of their heads off.  I can hardly think past my anger as I race off the field towards where Eren is lying on the ground.  A hand grabs my arm and stops me though.  I whirl around to see Pixis holding me back.  I'm only vaguely aware of the whistles being blown to stop the match.

"Stay out of it, son," he tells me.  "Your interference will only make it worse."

Farlan is there by my side, assisting Pixis in holding me back.  I want to shove both of them off of me, but I know what he's saying is true.  I know why the other reporters are harassing him.  It's because of the article.  If I go over there to defend him, it will only be putting fuel on the fire.  I need to stay out of it, as much as it physically hurts me to stand back and watch Eren get pushed around.

Erwin reaches the mob a moment later, Mike following right behind him, having been in the goal on that end of the field.  I watch as Erwin shouts at the other reports, standing in between them and Eren on the ground.  Mike kneels beside Eren and places a hand on the boy's shoulder.  Eren nods, presumably at Mike asking him if he's alright, as he sits up.  He immediately reaches for his camera to check it over and I snort.  The brat is putting that damn camera before himself.

It hits me suddenly and forcefully like a ton of bricks.  Fuck.  His illness.  Did he get hurt?  Did he get cut?  He's not even looking himself over.  What if he's bleeding and doesn't realize it?  I pull against Pixis and Farlan holding me, but they only tighten their grip.

Mike helps Eren to his feet just as the security guards arrive at the press corner.  Erwin and Mike indicate which of the reporters had been the cause of the problem, and I watch in satisfaction as they're all forcefully escorted from the field.  I'm also satisfied when Eren starts to look himself over, checking his hands and arms and legs.  It would appear that he's alright, because he loops his camera strap over his neck and offers Mike a smile.  Mike ruffles the brat's hair before jogging back onto the field, and I feel an instant pang of jealousy at that one simple touch.  I want to touch Eren like that.  I want to ruffle his hair, run my fingers across his cheeks, feel his soft lips against my own....

But I can't.  What just happened is exactly why I can't go to him.  That's exactly why I can't have him in my life.  It won't take long for the jackals of the public to start ignoring Eren and focus solely on me.  Once they see that I have nothing to do with him anymore, they'll leave him alone.  I just need to remain in control and stay away from the boy until these painful feelings finally, _finally_ , go away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOOO I got TWO fanart drawings this week from amazingly talented artists! Check them out [here](http://apursuitofemptiness.tumblr.com/post/122276779860/) and [here](http://zoey04ereri.tumblr.com/post/122289405855/)! Thank you guys! You are so amazing and I love them so much. I was squealing like a fangirl, not even gonna lie.


	24. College Student Rushed to the Hospital!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not super important at this very moment but it will become relevant in the next about five or six chapters: I changed the Olympics to the World Cup for reasons. So all of the Team USA recruiting of Levi and Mike will be for the World Cup now instead of the Olympics.

**Eren**

As I trudge through my winter break, I can't stop thinking about what happened at the match that Sunday night.  God I wanted to hit people.  Those stupid reporters weren't distracted by the match for long.  By the time the second half rolled around, they were back to their mocking and insults.  They even started shoving me.  I turned on the first man that did it.  I wanted to hit him so bad, but I refrained, instead telling him in the most polite way possible to leave me alone.  I think my exact words were "go fuck yourself".  That just made him mad though, as well as the others around me.  They made really crude jokes about Levi fucking me, which soon turned into jibes about how I corrupted him and tricked him into fucking me.  Apparently, if it hadn't been for me seducing him and brainwashing him, he never would've fucked a man.  If only they knew....

But when I had told that reporter to go fuck himself- very politely, as I said- that's when things started getting heated.  Another man stepped forward and shoved me back.  I hadn't yet regained my balance when a third photographer shoved me hard and managed to put me on the ground.  At that point I was seeing red.  I would've jumped to my feet and beat their fat asses into a pulp too, if not for Erwin Smith.  To say I was surprised to see him come to my rescue would be an understatement.  I could only stare up at him from the ground as he got right up in the photographer's faces and told them- not nearly as politely as I had- to leave me the fuck alone.

I was also surprised when Mike kneeled beside me and asked me if I was alright.  Why had those guys been nice to me?  I thought they hated me for what Levi thinks I did to him.  Maybe Levi didn't tell them?  I don't see why not though.  So instead of questioning his kindness, I nodded in response to Mike's question and reached for my camera.  Mike hovered by my side and I half heartedly listened to Erwin cuss those fat pigs out as I checked over my camera.

I didn't once see Levi during that commotion, but I think that is a good thing.  What if I had seen him and he didn't care?  What if he had looked annoyed that the match had been interrupted to deal with this stupid mess I was in?  I don't think I would've been able to handle that form of detachment, of not caring.  So I didn't look for him, and when the match continued, I focused on the other players.

I hoped that, since school was out now, that I wouldn't get harassed so much, but that ended up being wishful thinking.  It actually got worse.  It was caught on camera, the fight at the match, and was broadcasted in the news.  I live in a complex mostly occupied by students, and the coffee shop is a college hangout.  Even during the break, there are enough students still here to annoy the shit out of me.  For the entire two weeks of break, the taunts that those photographers should've done worse than just shoving me to the ground are constantly thrown at me.  Oh, and apparently now Erwin is fucking me too.  And Mike.  You know, since someone can't come to the aid of another person without them being fuck buddies.  Because that makes _so_ much sense.

"Are you okay?"

That question comes from Armin.  I've been asked that a lot recently by my handful of friends in between the insults thrown around by countless strangers.  He takes a seat next to me on the couch, where I'm curled up watching a movie with a blanket draped over my head.  I was the only one in the apartment up until now, and I had been sitting alone in the dark, stewing in my negativity.  A half finished canvas sits on the easel in the corner of the room, but I have no motivation to finish it.

I sigh and rest my chin on my knees.  "I'm fine."

"This will all blow over soon," he tries to reassure me.  "There is only a few more weeks of playoffs, then the Cup, and then the season will be over.  Once Levi, and the Scouts in general, step out from under the spotlight, things will die down.  People will move on to more recent and current news and they'll leave you alone."

"I sure hope you're right, Armin, because I'm not sure how much more of this I can take," I admit to him.

He pats my back, then stands.  "The others were thinking about heading out tonight.  The guys want to have one last night out before school starts again on Monday.  Care to join us?"

I think about it for a long moment.  I really don't want to go out in public.  That's when bad things happen.  But the thought of going out to enjoy a few beers with my personal defense squad does sound enticing.

"Where were you planning on going?  The usual?" I ask.  Maria Bar has always been our bar of choice for a number of different reasons.  The beer is a decent price, and Reiner is a bouncer, so he can usually sneak me in, even when he's not working.

"No, the guys wanted to try somewhere new tonight.  They want to go check out Bar Rose," he says.  "Apparently it's a really nice place and very rarely is it actually open to the public.  Usually it's only open to private parties.  Have you heard of it?"

Yes, I've heard of it alright.  That's Pixis' bar.  Levi's mentioned off-handedly before that whenever anyone from the team goes out, they always go there.  And apparently they go there often.  The last thing I want is to run into him, or anyone else from the tea, there.

"I think I'll pass," I reply, deciding not to explain why as I sink back into the couch.

Armin watches me for a long minute, then sighs and nods.  "Alright.  I'll see you later then."  He picks up his coat and leaves the apartment, leaving me all alone in the dark again.

...

The insults and jibes get worse and worse as the week drags on.  I know it's going to reach a turning point eventually, just like Armin said, and my hopes had been that the turning point would be when people got bored of picking on me.  But nothing is ever that easy.

Walking home from classes Thursday night, I trudge through the snow piling up on the sidewalk.  I'm forced to walk, because I can't ride my bike in the snow.  I can't risk my tires slipping and me taking a spill.  So I push through the building snow with complaints mumbled under my breath.  Now that winter is in full swing, it's dark by the time my last class lets out at five, so not only am I cold as I trudge through the snow, but I have to do it in the dark as well.

I'm waiting at the corner for the headless white walking man to tell me it's safe to cross the street when I start to get a funny feeling.  The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and I know it's not from the cold.  I discretely look down the sidewalk to see a small group of men walking towards me.  They're laughing and goofing around, and when one spots me, he points.

I quickly look down, huddling in on myself and praying that the light changes soon.  My heart is racing and my palms are clammy.  Hopefully those men will leave me alone.  Or at least just verbally mock me.  But I have a very bad feeling that something worse is about to come.  So instead of waiting for them to reach me, I quickly turn around and head down the other sidewalk, leading away from the intersection.

"Hey wait up!" one of the men shouts at me.

I don't stop.  I don't look back either.  I quicken my steps and plow forward through the snow.  But when I hear running footsteps crunching through the snow, I do look back.  All three of them are running at me.  I don't think twice before taking off down the sidewalk.  But they're faster than I am.  One grabs my arm and spins me around to face him.  I try to throw a punch at his head, but he ducks to the side, avoiding my fist.

"Looks like the faggot has some bite, guys," the man laughs.

His fist suddenly connects with my stomach, and I double over, falling onto my knees in the snow when he release my arm.  A foot connects with the side of my face and I feel blood flood my mouth.  Fear strikes me, but I force it away, getting quickly to my feet.  I need to scare these guys off before they hurt me even more.  Spitting the frightening red fluid into the snow, I swing at the man again.  This time my fist connects with his cheek, sending him sprawling in the snow.  The other two are on me then, and I do my best to fend them off.  It works for a little while, my swinging fists and feet managing to connect a few times.

"You're disgusting!" they shout at me.

"You're a dirty whore!"

"You've corrupted him!"

"You've ruined him!"

"Faggots don't belong in the MLS!"

"This is all your fault!"

I ignore the insults and focus on pushing them back just enough that I can make a break for it.  I've already started bleeding, so I need to get out of here as soon as possible and head to the hospital.  But the three men don't back down.  They keep pressing forward, and fear is starting to replace my burning anger.  I feel a wetness on my cheek and forehead, and I know it's not from the snow.  This is getting bad.

A sharp pain suddenly shoots up my side, and everyone seems to freeze.  I stumble back a step, looking down to see a switchblade stuck through my thick jacket and into my left side.  Two of the men look equally as surprised as I am, and they look to the third man.  I'm almost too shocked to register what's happening.  Have I really been... stabbed?

"I didn't say to stab him, you moron!" one of the men shouts at the third.  "Fuck, we need to get out of here."

They all turn to run, and a burst of adrenaline pumps through me as I watch their retreating backs.  I rip the switchblade from my side and throw it at them.  "You fucking cowards!" I shout at them as the hilt of the blade bounces harmlessly off one of their shoulders.  "Don't you fucking run away from me!"

Being the idiot I am, and being completely consumed by my anger and my shock, I move to race after them.  But I end up collapsed in the snow.  My head feels fuzzy and light.  My shirt is sticking to me from the ribs down with how much blood I've already lost.  The thick red streaming down from a cut on my forehead finally reaches one of my eyes, leaving me unable to see through that eye.  I can taste the heavy metallic taste on my tongue, filling my mouth.  I can't feel my hands or feet, and it's not because they're cold.  Fuck, this is really bad.

I manage to pull my phone from my pocket, and somehow manage to press three numbers.  I don't even know if I manage to press the call button though before everything goes dark.

 

**Hanji**

"My shift doesn't end until ten tonight though," I say into my phone, leaning my elbows on the counter of the reception desk in the ER.  When I don't have my specialized patient to work with, I come down here to work, as do all doctors with downtime.  It's our obligation to assist in the ER.  While most doctors complain about it, I honestly really enjoy it.  I get to see a lot of really cool things down here in the emergency room.  But tonight is slow, unfortunately.  Well, fortunately for all the people who _aren't_ here in the trauma bay.  "Will anywhere still be open at that time?"

 _"Don't worry about it,"_ Erwin says from the other end of the line.  _"I'll figure it out, and I'll pick you up at ten."_

"Perfect!" I smirk, already counting down the hours until ten o'clock rolls around.  "So how's the shorty doing?"

I hear him sigh, then I hear some movement on his end of the line.  There is a weird crinkly sound, and then I remember that the blinds in his office at Trost Stadium are those obnoxious old-school ones that crinkle and always get bent and misshapen.  He's peering through his blinds in his office.  I wonder why he's still there.  Erwin cancelled the afternoon block this afternoon when it started snowing.  Apparently they had to get the roof closed and the field cleaned up or something.  Whatever that's supposed to mean.  Half of the soccer things he tells me go right over my head.

"Are you still at the stadium?  I thought you said you sent everyone home after the morning block," I observe, mostly just wanting to show him that I totally _was_ paying attention when he was talking to me.

 _"Yes.  Levi is still here,"_ he replies.  _"I didn't want to leave him here by himself.  He's really been out of it since he and Eren fell through."_

"Eren's been pretty off since then too.  I wonder what happened?" I muse aloud.  "He refuses to talk about it with me.  Levi doesn't think that Eren leaked that photo, does he?  Did that short stack get mad at Eren over that?"

_"Levi refuses to talk to me about it either.  But I think he does blame Eren.  Or at least, he did.  I can't help but feel like things didn't end very between them."_

"Those poor babies.  I really wish they'd just work this out.  I hate seeing Eren so-"

A loud commotion coming from the ambulance port interrupts me, causing me to turn and look.  Three medics race into the room, pulling a stretcher along with them.  The first thing I see is that the white sheets covering the patient are covered in an abnormal amount of blood.  The second thing that catches my eye is the face of the patient, and I nearly drop my phone.

"Oh my god...  Don't hang up!" I shout at Erwin, tossing my phone into my pocket and sprinting over towards where the paramedics are shouting at each other and at the nurses trying to assist.

Eren is deathly pale, blood pouring from a laceration to his forehead and his cheek, and trickling from his slightly parted lips.  But what has me most concerned is the sheer volume of blood pouring out from beneath the hands of a paramedic.  He's holding Eren's side, pressing a wad of gauze that has been soaked through with blood to an apparent wound.  His jacket and shirt have been cut away revealing his bloodstained stomach.  That wound is more than just a minor laceration.

"Move!" I shout at the paramedic.  I try to force myself into a professional state of mind so that I can handle the situation.  But on the inside, I'm freaking out.  I've grown unprofessionally close to this boy during the time he's been my patient.  There's something about the kid that has grown on me.  He's like a son to me, and seeing him bleeding out on this gurney is scaring me like it would any mother.  "He has hemophilia.  Compressions alone won't stop this bleeding.  He needs to be taken into surgery stat to close any internal injuries."

"Hemophilia?" one of the paramedics asks in disbelief, her eyes wide.  "He's not wearing a medical bracelet though."

I look at his wrists to see that he is in fact not wearing his bracelet.  "God damn it, Eren," I growl, then turn to point at the receptionist.  "Page a trauma surgeon now.  I'm taking him to Op Room 3.  I'll prep him myself, just get a surgeon down here."

She nods and immediately calls for a trauma surgeon over the intercom.  I quickly grab the front of the gurney and race down the hall with Eren towards an operating room.  Two of the paramedics follow me, along with a nurse, to assist me with the prep until a surgical team arrives.

"How long has he been bleeding?" I ask one of the paramedics.

"The 9-1-1 call came in twenty-one minutes ago, and we picked him up thirteen minutes ago.  We took immediate action to stop the bleeding, but now it makes sense why it was pretty unsuccessful.  Most of the time, hemophilia patients are wearing a medical bracelet, so we didn't even stop to consider that he has it."

I just nod.  He's right.  Eren should've been wearing his bracelet.  If he had been, the paramedics would've used alternative methods to try and stop his bleeding.  But he wasn't, and because of that, I'm not so sure about his chances of survival.  I try not to think too much about that realization as we reach the operating room and I throw the doors open.  We're only in there for a few minutes before the surgical team arrives and ushers us out so that they can take over.

Standing out in the hall, I don't know what to do as I stare at the door.  My poor Eren....  As a doctor specializing in Eren's disease, I know that statistically, his chance of survival is low.  He's been bleeding profusely for too long.  But as someone who cares greatly for him, I hope that he'll beat the odds.  He's strong, and determined as fuck.  I don't think I've ever seen such a strong will in anybody before.  He has to make it through.  He won't let something like this kill him.

I suddenly remember that I had been on the phone with Erwin when Eren arrived in the trauma bay.  I fish my phone out of my pocket, not caring that my hands are covered in blood, and lift it to my ear.

"Erwin?" I say shakily into the phone as I make my way back into the trauma room.  A pair of police officers have entered, and are talking to the receptionist, most likely about Eren.  I'll probably have to talk to them too.

 _"Hanji?  What happened?  Did you have a patient?"_ he asks, sounding slightly concerned.  I always leave him hanging while I'm working in the ER, so this is nothing new for him.  He's probably only concerned because of my tone.

"Something bad has happened...."

 

**Levi**

I bury my hands deeper in the pockets of my hoodie.  They may have closed the roof of the stadium, but it's still cold in here.  Little patches of melting snow still litter the field, but I don't really care right now.  I dig another soccer ball out of the bag with my foot, and line it up for a kick.  It sails straight into the middle of the net, completely uncontested.

Most of the stadium lights are off.  The only ones on are the huge ones at the top of the stadium, flooding the field with light, but leaving the stands in darkness.  Nobody is here except for security and the maintenance crew.  I don't know why I felt inclined to stay in an empty stadium, shooting soccer balls at an empty net, but I did.  I just didn't want to go back to that apartment.  It feels so big and empty now that Eren isn't there all the time.

I find myself thinking a lot about Eren, especially after the match a couple of weeks ago.  I find myself hoping that he's happy with his new boyfriend, that this man is treating him the way he deserves.  I still wish I could be that man though, more than anything, but if Eren is happy... that's all that matters, right?

But mostly, I am worried about him.  I hope that the only bullying he's been receiving has been from those reporters.  I hope he's not getting as hounded as I am about this whole thing.  And if he is running into trouble, I hope that his new boyfriend is protecting him and keeping him safe.  Along with his sister and friend.  I wish this, but I can't shake the feeling that my wishes are going unfulfilled.  I can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen to Eren.

I hear fast footsteps hurrying out of the tunnel leading to the locker rooms.  I hesitate, watching the tunnel.  When Erwin appears, I'm confused.  I thought he went home hours ago.

"Erwin?  Why are you-"

"I just got off the phone with Hanji," he interrupts me.

"Why do I care that you talked to your girlfriend?" I snap.  I'm far to irritated to be dealing with this.  "You trying to rub your happy relationship in my face or something?"

"Levi, Eren is at the hospital.  He got mugged coming home from school," he tells me, his voice growing softer.  His eyes are watching me, wary of my reaction.  What, is he expecting me to flip the fuck out?  Because I can't even breathe right now, let alone freak out.  "He was stabbed and... Hanji wanted me to tell you because... well, she's not sure if he's going to make it."

I'm running.  Before he even finishes the sentence, I'm running.  But I still hear it.  I still hear the end of that damned sentence.  It's ringing through my ears, and I hear it over and over and over again as I sprint through the parking lot.  I try to fish my keys out of my pocket, but my shaky fingers drop them on the ground.  Another hand snatches them up before I can, and then Erwin's big hand is fisting in my sleeve and dragging me towards his own car.

"I don't trust you to drive like this," he tells me.  "Get in."

I don't argue.  I can't find my voice even if I wanted to.  I'm in a daze, my mind running a hundred miles an hour, as we race towards the hospital.  I keep hearing Erwin say that Eren might not make it.  Eren might not make it.  Eren might die.  Why?  Why did this happen to him?  I have a feeling that this wasn't some random mugging.  I have a feeling that this has to do with that god damned fucking article.  I have a feeling that Eren was targeted and attacked solely because of our relationship.

God, how could I have been so fucking stupid?  I was getting harassed and I am an idol to most people.  Eren is a nobody to them.  If people wanted to attack one of us, it'd be so much easier to attack him, a random stranger, than to attack me, their idol.  I haven't been deaf to the rumors either.  I know that a lot of people are blaming him for my being gay.  How could I not piece all of that together and realize that Eren was in more danger than I was?  And now I could lose him because of my ignorance.

The drive to the hospital feels like it takes forever.  But eventually, we do get there.  Erwin pulls his car up to the front doors so that I can get out.  I'm jumping from the car before it even fully stops and sprinting up to the doors.  People stare at me.  It's not hard to recognize me since I'm not even attempting to hide who I am, and especially since I'm still wearing my soccer shorts and cleats.  But I don't care right now.  Eren is the only thing I care about.

I run into the ER and look around.  I don't know what I'm looking for, but two police officers catch my attention, and I immediately recognize the brunette they are talking to.  I make a beeline for the three of them.

"Where is he?" I demand of Hanji, catching all of their attention.

"Sir-" one of the police officers starts to say.

"Don't 'sir' me," I snap at him, then turn back to Hanji.  "Where is he?"

"He's in surgery right now," she replies.  Her voice is worried and unstable, and that unnerves me.  I've never seen her upset.  She's always so chipper and upbeat.  Now I'm even more scared.  And the blood splattered across her coat and sleeves doesn't do anything to calm me.

I turn to the two police officers.  "Who did this to him?" I ask them.

"We don't know.  We don't have any suspects at the moment.  We need to talk to Mr. Jaeger and get his statement," one of them replies.

Erwin's words ring though my head once again.  "And if he doesn't make it through surgery?" I question, my voice raising.  I try to reign in my anger, but I'm too unstable right now.  My self control went out the window the second Erwin told me that Eren might not make it.

"Well, without any eye witnesses, it'll be difficult to-"

"Don't give me that bullshit!" I shout at them, pulling harshly away from Hanji when she puts a hand on my shoulder.  "Do your fucking job and find the fuckers that hurt him, or I will!  And trust me, you do _not_ want me to find them first."

"Levi," Erwin's voice snaps from behind me.  He grabs my wrist to pull me out of the officers' faces.  "I'm sorry, gentlemen, he's just upset."

"We understand," the other officer says with a nod.  "Trust us, we will do everything within our power to find the people who hurt Mr. Jaeger."

"Good, we'll put our trust in you," Erwin says, plastering on that damn diplomatic, calming smile.

I rip my arm out of Erwin's grasp and walk away from the four of them.  I try to take deep breaths, but it's nearly impossible.  Running my hands through my hair, I fight to keep from completely breaking down.  I can feel eyes on me from all the people in the waiting room, but I try to ignore them.  A hand on my shoulder startles me, and I spin around to see who would dare touch me.

Hanji's sad eyes find mine and she pulls me into a hug.  I don't fight it.  I actually find comfort in the touch and I lean into her, burying my face in her shoulder.

"Erwin said..." I start to say, but my voice catches.  Damn.  I'm not used to being this weak, this unstable, this close to a break down.  It's weird and frightening.  I clear my throat and start again.  "Erwin said that he might not make it.  Is that true?"

Hanji pulls back from me and puts her hands on either of my shoulders.  "The chances of someone surviving after losing so much blood are not great, but on top of that, his hemophilia complicates things."

"Don't tell me the _statistical_ chances, tell me _Eren's_ chances," I retort.  "You know as well as I do how much of a stubborn little shit he is.  He's a fighter.  He's strong.  So what are _his_ chances?"

"I think-"

" _You!_ " someone suddenly shouts from the other end of the room.  Hanji and I both turn to see Mikasa charging towards us, Armin trying to hold her back.  Her eyes are red and her cheeks are wet with tears.  She looks absolutely furious, trying to fight against Armin as he grabs her arms.

"Mikasa please-" the blonde begs.

"No!  This is all your fault!" she screams at me.  "If you had just stayed out of my brother's life, he wouldn't be here right now!"

Her words hit me hard because I know she's right.  I should've never let things go as far as they did.  That would've solved all of these problems.  I never would've grown close to him, that article never would've been released, I never would've been outed, neither of us would've been harassed, Eren never would've ended up dying on an operating table, and I never would've fallen in love with him.

"Mikasa enough," Hanji snaps.  "You know this isn't his fault.  We can't be at each other's throats.  I believe that Eren will pull through this.  And when he does, we all need to be there for him to help him recover.  I know you're upset, but please try to be strong for Eren."

She stops struggling against Armin, completely breaking down and falling to the floor.  Armin kneels beside her and pulls her into his arms as she sobs.  I watch Mikasa cry against Armin, and I watch Erwin wrap a comforting arm around Hanji's waist as she goes back to talking with the police.  My anger at not having Eren here with me, at watching the people that are the closest to him break down over possibly losing him, begins to consume me.  I need to do something.  I can't just stand here uselessly and hope that Eren survives, hope that the police will catch the fuckers that hurt him, and hope people will leave him alone.  I need to take this into my own hands.

"Erwin," I call to the man, getting his attention.  "I need your help."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OHMYGOSH GUYS. I got TWO MORE fanarts this week! You guys are seriously trying to kill me, aren't you?? Another one of [Eren's picture](http://queen-rivaere.tumblr.com/post/123143735696/) and another one from [chapter 13](http://mahokyojin.tumblr.com/post/122880882532/) (nsfw warning). So go check them out because holy crap I'm seriously dying right now.


	25. The Police Need Your Help!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe that this is the last section that will be in Hanji's POV. After this it will go back to being just Levi and Eren. I think...

**Hanji**

_"Paging Doctor Zoe."_   The intercom blares to life, startling me awake.  I sit up quickly, wiping the drool from the corner of my lips.  _"Paging Doctor Zoe to the front desk."_

I blearily check the time on the clock on the wall and see that it's nearing midnight.  I must have only been asleep for an hour.  Levi and Erwin left around ten when the visiting hours ended.  Mikasa stayed because she is family, and Armin managed to convince the staff to let him stay too because of his connections with the hospital.  I leave my office and head for the elevator, straightening my glasses on my nose and wondering why the front desk wants me.  I'm on call to be paged to the ICU when Eren comes out of his surgery, but-  Oh.  His parents must be here.  This is one conversation I'm not looking forward to having.

When I step out of the elevators on the ground floor, I immediately see Mikasa and Armin trying to comfort an older man and woman who are obviously distressed.  I know that they must be Eren's parents.  He looks just like them.  I walk up to the small group and four sets of eyes turn on me.

"I'm Doctor Hanji Zoe," I introduce myself.

"I'm Doctor Grisha Jaeger, and this is my wife, Carla."

"Where is Eren?  What happened to him?  Is he going to be okay?"  The questions flow out of Carla faster than I can answer them.  Her eyes are red from the tears that are still flowing from her eyes.  I can see the fear in them, and I can relate.  Eren may be her son and not mine, but I love him as if he were my own, and I can understand her pain.

Grisha places a hand on his wife's shoulder.  "Let her speak, Carla."  His voice is tired and hollow.  He's trying to look at the situation like a doctor with a patient, and not as a father with his son.  He's trying to be strong, most likely for his wife.

"Eren was attacked on his way home from school," I say, answering her question.  "He received a rather severe laceration to his left lumbar region."  Grisha nods solemnly, but Carla looks between her husband and me in confusion.  "Uh, he was stabbed in his left side, just below his ribcage.  The problem was that he hadn't been wearing his medical bracelet, so the EMTs didn't know to use alternate methods to control the bleeding.  He lost a lot of blood before he got here."

"Why wasn't he wearing his bracelet?" Carla asks in shock.  "He knows to always wear his bracelet, so why...?"

"What's his prognosis?" Grisha asks warily.

"Well, he's in surgery right now, as he has been for the last about six hours, but... it doesn't look good," I answer honestly.

Carla breaks down completely at my words, and would've fallen to her knees if not for Grisha's strong arms around her waist.

"Why?" she wails.  "Why did this happen to my baby?  It's because of that scandal in the papers, isn't it?  It's that soccer player's fault!  Why did he have to get involved in my son's life?  Can we press charges?  Can we hold him responsible?"

"Actually," I quickly step in, "he's just as upset about this as you are.  What he and your son had... it's not just some scandal.  Mr. Ackerman really cares about your son, and he's already doing whatever he can to make sure that the people responsible for hurting Eren are brought to justice.  He arrived not long after Eren went into surgery, and he was a mess.  So please, please don't blame him.  He's already blaming himself enough as it is."

"So it's true then?" Grisha questions, still holding his wife.  "Eren really was involved with that soccer player?  He's...."

"That's something the two of you will have to talk about when he gets out of his surgery," I tell him.

"You mean if he gets out...."

"No, I meant what I said.  Have faith that your son will pull through.  You know how strong and stubborn he is.  He'll make it through.  I believe he will, so you should too."

Carla smiles and reaches out to take my hand tightly in hers.  "Thank you," she breathes.  "For always taking care of my boy."

...

It's nearing two in the morning before we hear any news about Eren.  Carla had cried herself to sleep, leaning against Grisha who is sitting stoically and much too calmly.  It's unnerving.  Armin and Mikasa are curled up on the carpet, also asleep.  Mikasa's face is buried in Armin's chest and Armin's arm is draped protectively over her waist.  I myself am trying to stay awake.  I talked with Erwin on the phone on and off for a little bit, and that seems to help fend off the exhaustion, but not entirely.

I didn't realize I had dozed off until someone shakes me awake.  I sit up quickly to see a nurse standing in front of me.

"Dr. Zoe?" he murmurs.  "Your patient is out of surgery.  He being transferred to the ICU right now."

I stand eagerly with a nod.  Grisha nudges Carla awake and moves to stand, but I wave him off.

"You know how this goes, Dr. Jaeger," I tell him.  "He can't have any visitors until he's fully situated in the ICU.  I promise I'll send someone to get you as soon as possible."

He nods, not even attempting to fight me about it, although Carla looks like she wants to.  Leaving them behind, I quickly follow the nurse down the hall towards the elevator.  The air is tense as we take the elevator up to correct floor.  The nurse doesn't speak, and neither do I.  We step off the elevator and hurry down the hallway to the ICU.

"For Jaeger?" I say as we approach the receptionist.

She looks over at her computer and it only takes her a second before she replies with, "Room four."

I nod and head down the hall until I get to the fourth room.  Pushing the door open, I see Eren being moved onto the bed by a few nurses.  His surgeon is in the room with him, looking over his paperwork and monitoring him as the nurses hook him up to all the appropriate machines.  I walk up to her.

"How did it go?" I question.

"Surprisingly well," she replies.  "Statistically speaking, he should've never made it off the table, but he's a fighter, that's for sure.  We managed to keep his heart beating through the entire surgery.  Everything has been stitched up, but we'll have to keep an eye on him to make sure nothing opens back up.  It's still touch and go though.  We won't know anything for sure until he wakes up."

"Right," I say with a nod, trying to hide my concern.  She's absolutely right, unfortunately.  Eren isn't out of the woods yet.  But I trust that he'll be okay.  He'll pull through it, just as he pulled through the surgery.

"As soon as he's stabilized, I'll call up his family and explain the situation to them," the surgeon tells me.

I nod and cross the room to Eren's bedside.  I hover by his side, trying to keep out of the nurses' way as they continue to stabilize him.  Lifting a hand, I gently run my fingers through his hair.

"It'll be okay, sweetie," I murmur.  "Stay strong for us.  Keep fighting.  We all believe in you."

 

**Levi**

I hardly get any sleep that night.  After the hospital staff kicked me out when visiting hours ended, I came home to my empty apartment and poured myself a drink.  Fuck did I need one.  I had talked to Erwin regarding my plan, and he agreed to get everything set up.  I didn't tell him my true intentions though.  I kept those to myself because I know he wouldn't be very pleased about them.  He'd try to talk me down, but this is something I need to do.

The next morning I wake up to see a text from Erwin saying that Hanji told him Eren came out of surgery.  It is time stamped at just before three in the morning.  The relief I feel keeps me in bed for another ten minutes.  I can't get out of bed.  I just lay there with my hands covering my eyes, just breathing.  He's alive.  My brat is alive.  He survived the surgery.  The text also says that he's still touch and go, but I make myself count this as a win.  The worst part is over right?  It'll only be easier from here on out.  It has to be.  I don't know how much more of this I can take.

When I finally leave the bed, I send a text to Erwin reminding him to keep me informed.  I also ask him to pass my number on to Hanji so that she can get in touch with me directly.  I should've given it to her last night at the hospital, but it didn't even cross my mind.

Isabel stops by the apartment with Farlan in tow while I'm eating, just before I am about to leave for practice.  I know why they're here.  They must've found out somehow.  Farlan takes a seat next to me where I'm sitting in my boxers at the kitchen bar and tosses a newspaper into the countertop by my elbow.  The front page article is about Eren's assault.  I guess that's how they found out.

"I know that you knew about this," he says.  "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because there's nothing you, or I, can do about it," I retort, but then sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose.  Snapping at the people trying to help and comfort me won't solve the problem.  "He survived the night.  His doctor says he's still touch and go, but she believes he'll pull through it."

"I'm sorry, Levi," he murmurs.  "Despite how much you've pushed him away these last couple weeks, I know that you care about him.  So I know this isn't easy for you.  We're all here for you, if you ever want to talk, or just need some support.  We're your family Levi.  We want to help you."

I look over at him, trying to keep the emotion off my face.  "Thanks, Farlan.  That means a lot to me."

He smiles.  "And as long as that kid means so much to you, he'll be a part of this family as well.  We want to see him pull through this as much as you do."

Iseabel nods in agreement, taking the seat on my other side and resting a comforting hand on my shoulder.  "You're not alone in this, Levi.  Just remember that."

She pulls me into a tight hug and I nearly fail at holding back my emotions.  I didn't realize how lonely I've been feeling since last night.  But I'm not alone.  I realize that now.  Isabel, Farlan, Erwin, and everyone else... they're all here to support me and Eren, and I've never been more grateful to have them in my life.

...

In the locker room after practice that night, I find that I'm more anxious than I thought I would be.  Erwin got everything set up to start right after practice ends.  I still haven't decided if what I'm planning on doing is a good idea, or a really bad one, but we'll just have to wait and see what happens.  We haven't gotten any word on Eren.  He's still touch and go as far as Hanji and his surgeon know.  It's all just one big waiting game, waiting for him to either wake up, or for him to crash.

Once I'm changed out of my practice clothes, showered, and dressed in a suit, I make my way to the conference hall.  The reporters are all already here.  The murmuring inside the room is loud, and I wait by the back door for Erwin.  He appears a moment later and gives me a concerned look.

"It's not too late to call this off," he tells me.

I shake my head.  "No, this needs to happen.  If we can make people aware of what happened last night, and show them how out of hand all this has gotten, maybe it will make a difference."

He nods.  "Are you sure you're not the one who wants to make a statement?" he questions.

"Yes I'm sure.  That might just make it worse.  I might answer some questions at the end, but you're more of an authority figure than I am.  You'll probably get though to everyone better than I can."

"Alright, if you say so," he shrugs.

At that moment, the lead detective of Eren's case arrives.  She's dressed in a crisp police uniform and is scanning an index card.  Erwin extends a hand to her.

"I'm Erwin Smith, and this is Levi Ackerman," he introduces when she takes his hand.

"Detective Ilse Langer," she replies with a smile.  "Thank you very much for offering to do this press conference.  All the help we can get is truly appreciated."

"We want to catch these fuckers as much as you do," I reply, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Please excuse him.  He's very close to Mr. Jaeger," Erwin intervenes.  "This whole press conference was his idea."

"Understandable.  So, shall we get this over with?  I'm really hoping this will result in some leads, because until Mr. Jaeger wakes up, we have nothing to go off of."  She holds out the index card to Erwin.  He takes it and looks it over.  "These are the things we don't want you to talk about.  Some things we need to hold back.  It'll help identify the true criminals."

Erwin nods and the three of us enter the conference room.  Ilse and I hang back behind the curtain, staying out of sight until we're called up, as Erwin takes his place in front of the podium.  I'm starting to get anxious again as I listen to him describe the attack and what happened last night.  He doesn't go into detail, keeping it brief.  He expresses the team's disgust at what happened, and even goes so far to address all of the harassment that Eren and I have been dealing with these last few weeks.  He's really playing heavily into the shame card.

After a few minutes, Ilse joins him and discusses further how the public can help the police solve this crime.  She gives them a number for the police's tip line, offering a small reward to any tips that lead to an arrest.

"What are Ackerman's thoughts on this crime?" a reporter suddenly shouts when Ilse steps back.

"Is the article true then?" another butts in.  "Do he and Eren Jaeger really have an intimate relationship?"

"How has him being outed as homosexual affected his position on the Scouts?"

"Is Ackerman looking at a termination of his contract?"

The questions continue, and anger burns within me.  Are they fucking kidding me right now?  Eren is in the hospital, his recovery uncertain.  These people just heard all the details of this atrocious crime, and all they care about is whether I'm gay or not, and how it's going to affect my career?  I realize at that moment that I really do need to carry out my plan.  It becomes immediately relevant that this _is_ a good idea after all.

I push my way past the curtain, charging up onto the stage.  The heated questions die down as everyone looks at me in surprise.  But the new stream of questions is immediate, and they're all directed at me.  I don't listen to any of them though, and I cut everyone off as I grab the microphone, repositioning it to make sure every damn word I say is heard loud and clear.

"Okay, listen up shitstains," I snap and everyone immediately falls silent.  "I'm tired of hiding.  I'm tired of tiptoeing around the press, trying to keep who I am secret.  I shouldn't have to be afraid of what you, or the public, thinks of me.  So no more.  I'm done."  I take a deep breath.  "Yes, I am gay.  And yes, I have been engaging in an intimate relationship with Eren Jaeger.  But let me get one thing straight.  Jaeger has not corrupted me.  He did not coerce me.  He did not trick me.  I was the one who initiated our relationship.  So enough of the rumors.  And enough with the harassment.  I shouldn't have to be telling this to you people.  You should all be ashamed of yourself.  So what if I'm gay?  So what if I'm in a relationship with Eren Jaeger?  My personal life is none of your damn concern."  I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down.  "Eren Jaeger is my boyfriend, and I care greatly for him.  So if anyone ever, _ever_ , touches what's mine again, I will personally make your life hell.  And to the people who put him in the hospital, let me just say this: if he doesn't wake up... if he dies, then you better pray that the police find you before I do."

I take a step back from the podium and the room erupts in noise.  Everyone tries to ask questions all at once, but I don't stick around long enough to hear any of them.  I duck behind the curtain and head for the back door.  I can hear someone following me, but I don't look back as I enter the hallway and storm towards the locker room.  The anger is still burning and I need to calm down.  What I really want is to go see Eren.

A hand grabs my wrist and I spin around to see Erwin standing there, gripping my arm.  Before I can say anything, he speaks.  "What the fuck was that, Levi?  You do realize that you just threatened people on live television, and in front of a police officer, no less."

"So?  Those fuckers need to know what's coming to them.  And I don't see her chasing after me, so she must feel the same way I do," I retort.

He exhales sharply and releases my wrist.  "You have been planning on saying that since the very beginning, haven't you?"

I nod.  "It needed to be said."

"What about the kid's actual boyfriend?  I thought you said he is seeing someone else now."

Shit, I forgot all about the other guy.  I didn't actually plan on saying that last bit.  It just... happened.  I'll deal with the consequences of that later though.  "It needed to be said," I repeat myself, not really sure how else to respond.

"Alright.  I don't think it was very wise, coming out in such a way, and at such a time, but what's done is done.  Hopefully the consequences won't be anything we can't handle."

I don't know how to respond to that either, so I don't.  I turn back down the hall and continue towards the locker room.  But the ringing of a cell phone stops me in my tracks.  I turn back around and watch Erwin as he pulls his cell phone from his pocket and quickly answers it.  It could be a number of people, considering what just happened on live television, but there's only one person I'm hoping is on the other end of that call.

I can't read anything on Erwin's stoic face.  After only a few seconds though, he nods.  "Yes, I'll tell him.  Thank you."  He hangs up and turns to me.  "That was Hanji.  Eren is awake."

 

**Eren**

_"Eren Jaeger is my boyfriend, and I care greatly for him.  So if anyone ever,_ ever _, touches what's mine again, I will make your life hell.  And to the people who put him in the hospital, let me just say this: if he doesn't wake up... if he dies, then you better pray that the police find you before I do."_

I'm still so groggy that I'm not even sure that what I just witnessed actually happened.  All I know is that when I woke up after what felt like being asleep for an eternity, the television was on and Mikasa, Armin, Hanji, and my parents were all standing beneath it, listening to a painfully familiar voice say something that I'm convinced I heard wrong.

I slowly blink my eyes open, trying to get them to focus.  My body feels so heavy.  I take a deep breath, but a pain sears up my side and I wince, deciding not to do that again.  Yeah, I'll just stop breathing.  That will make everything feel better.

I open my mouth to ask the people clustered near the television if what I heard was true, but nothing comes out.  My throat feels like sandpaper.  I cough a few times so that I can try again, but suddenly five people are swarming my bed.  They bombard me with questions, but honestly it's just annoying and hurts my head.

"Will you all just shut up for a minute?" I say, my voice rough and cracked.

They all quiet down and Hanji pushes her way up to the front of the group.  "How are you feeling, honey?"

"Like shit," is my automatic reply.  Well, it's not a lie, that's for sure.  "How long have I been asleep?"

"A little over twenty-four hours," Hanji replies.

I groan.  "It feels like it's been longer than that...."

"Eren," my mother's voice suddenly says.  It's serious, and I'm almost afraid of what she's about to say.  "Why weren't you wearing your medical bracelet?  You almost died because you didn't have it on."

"Carla," my dad murmurs.  "Now isn't the time to chastise him.  He needs to rest."

"Because it marks me as something different.  It marks me as being diseased.  It tells the world that there is something wrong with me," I answer anyway.  "I'm tired of being different.  I just want to be like everyone else."

"Eren-"

"Enough," Dad says, interrupting Mom.  "We'll talk about this later."

"Can we talk about what's going on between you and that soccer player?" Mom asks, and I cringe.  But then I remember what I heard on the television when I was waking up.

"Did I just hear... did he really say that?" I question nervously.  I'm afraid to hear them say that I didn't actually hear that, that he didn't really call me his... his boyfriend.

They all look between each other, and then Armin smiles at me.  "Yes, he did," he says.

"Oh, that reminds me..." Hanji murmurs, stepping away from the bed and heading to the door.  She leaves and I stare after her in confusion for a minute.

"But I thought he ended things with Eren," Mikasa observes, looking at Armin.  "So what was that all about?"

"I want to know when you were going to tell us about this relationship you had with a professional athlete," Mom says.  "I never expected to learn something like that about you from the newspaper of all places.  You never even told us that you are gay."

I frown, looking down at my hands in my lap.  "Does it matter?"

"No, of course not!" my mother nearly exclaims.  "I just-"

She cuts herself off when Hanji steps back into the room.  I guess my mom decides that this is better left a family discussion, and honestly I'm grateful.  I don't have the energy to have this conversation right now.  Hanji ushers everyone away from the bed so that she can test my vitals.  Mikasa and Armin take a seat in one of the chairs in front of the glass wall that looks out into the hallway, the two of them squeezing side by side in the small chair.  My mom takes the other chair, and my dad assists Hanji in checking the machines.

"So what happened, Eren?" my dad asks, finally voicing the question that I could feel hanging heavy in the air.

I frown as I think back on the events that led up to me blacking out.  They're very fuzzy and vague, and I can't remember them all that clearly, but I remember enough.

"Three men attacked me as I was walking home from school," I reply, feeling my heart start to race as the incident comes back to me.  "It was because of that article.  I don't remember much.  I just remember fighting with them, and then one of them stabbed me before they ran off."

"The police are working on your case," Hanji tells me.  "As soon as you're feeling up to it, I'll call them to let them know you're awake so that they can come ask you a few questions."

I nod.  "So they haven't caught the guys yet?"

Mikasa shakes he head.  "No, but how much of that press conference did you catch?"

"Only the part where Levi said... said those things about... about me."  I'm almost afraid to acknowledge what he said out loud.  I'm still having a hard time believing that he really said any of those things.

"Well, before he jumped up onto that podium, the lead detective of the case was up there asking for any leads.  Coach Smith arranged the whole press conference and apparently he is working very closely with the police to make sure they catch the people that did this to you," Mikasa tells me.

"Erwin is?" I ask in disbelief.  "But why?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Hanji says with a smile, looking out the window towards the hall.

I look over to see Levi jogging down the hall towards my room, Erwin following closely behind him.  My heart leaps into my throat, seemingly beating at a million miles an hour, and it's extremely embarrassing the way it's made audible for the whole room to hear through my monitors.  He enters my room and his eyes fall on me, and it's like I suddenly can't remember how to breathe.  The machine by the side of my bed beeps frantically, making my cheeks burn.  But I can't help it.  This is the first time I've been this close to Levi since we had that fight over the article a few weeks ago, since everything went to shit.

Levi just stares at me, breathing hard.  His eyes are wide as he looks me over.  He sounds beyond relieved when he breathes, "You're awake."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so let's just all imagine for a second, that the microphones on that podium aren't actually attached, and that at the end of Levi's speech, he just mic drops like... Yes let's just all pretend XD
> 
> OHMYGOD I totally forgot to post the links to THREE fanarts I got this week!! Go [check](http://ralmisa.tumblr.com/post/123585638591/) [them](http://allychan-ravenwood.tumblr.com/post/123566475644/) [out](http://praythegayway.tumblr.com/post/123656456788/)!


	26. Athlete Finally Comes Clean!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to post the links to some fanart on last week's update and didn't get them up until the next morning, so if you missed those links, please go back and check them out!

**Eren**

"You're awake."

"That's what they tell me," I joke, trying to force a casual tone to my voice to hide that I'm really on the verge of freaking out right now.

Someone clears their throat, startling both Levi and I.  I suddenly remember that we're not alone in the room, as does he.  Hanji flashes a smile between the two of us though as she ushers everyone else out of the room.  My mom starts to protest, but soon follows Hanji's lead and leaves the room with everyone else.  Once the door closes behind them and it's just Levi and me, I take a deep breath and ask the question that I have to ask.

"What you said on the television..." I start.  "Was that-"

"I meant it," he interrupts me, taking a tentative step closer to me.  "Every single word.  Well, except for the boyfriend part.  I know you're with that other guy now so I'm really sorry for-"

"I'm not," I interrupt him.

He looks up at me sharply with confused eyes.  He's quiet for a long minute and I start to grow nervous, but then he finally speaks.  "You aren't?"

"No.  I couldn't.  I guess... I haven't really gotten over you yet," I admit with a small shrug.

"Oh..." he breathes and does he look... relieved?  "Well... then the whole boyfriend thing is really up to you."

It sounds too good to be true.  My heart is racing, as is made obvious by the monitors, and it makes my head fuzzy, but I still find it hard to believe.  For these last however many months Levi and I have been sneaking around, he's told me over and over again that he doesn't do relationships.  But now suddenly he announces to the whole world that I'm his boyfriend?

"What changed?" I ask.

He exhales sharply and it seems to break some sort of trance.  He finally crosses the room towards me, closing the distance between us.  He starts to reach out to touch my hand, but pulls it back after a slight hesitation.  I'm not having any of that though.  We've been apart for too long already, and I'm tired of it.  Now that he's here with me again, I'm going to take full advantage of it.  I reach over to take his hand.  He gives it a squeeze before finally answering the question.

"Nothing changed, Eren," he answers.  "I'm just an idiot who didn't realize how I felt about you until after I chased you away.  I've always cared about you, Eren, I was just too afraid of commitment to acknowledge it.  It shouldn't have taken you almost dying for me to realize this, but it did.  And I'm not going to risk almost losing you again without coming clean to you about how I feel.  Eren I... I love you.  I know I don't deserve you after what happened with that stupid article.  I said things that I should never have said.  I should've believed you when you said that you had nothing to do with it.  I would do anything to take it all back, but I can't."

Okay now I'm convinced that I'm still unconscious and that this is just a dream.  This is what I've been longing for since Levi and I first got together.  This is exactly what I wanted.  So of course it can't be real, right?  I've convinced myself that I will never hear those words from Levi, that I'll never get what I wanted out of a relationship from him.  But now he's offering it to me.  All I have to do is reach out and grab it.  And oh boy do I want to.  I want to grab it with my greedy hands and cling to it like my life depends on it.  Because I love him too, and I don't want to ever let him walk out of my life again.  But it's not that simple.  Some things need to be cleared up first.

"You never even gave me a chance to explain.  You were so quick to believe that I could've done something like that to you," I point out.  "It was you who told me a long time ago that we needed to trust each other if we were to have the kind of relationship we did.  I trusted you Levi, but did you ever trust me?"

He groans, pulling his hand from mine to bury his face in them.  "I know, Eren, I know, I... I don't know why I was so quick to place all the blame on you.  It was just so unexpected and sudden, and I was just so mad.  I knew that picture was yours and that was the only thing running through my head.  I figured that you had to have given it to someone, and that was the only way it could've ended up on that article.  I do trust you Eren, I do.  I know it doesn't seem like it, and there's nothing I can do to change what happened, but I wish that there was.  I'm so sorry."

Even though a small part of me wants to hold on to that anger at being so easily blamed, that wants to demand a better explanation from him, a larger part of me has already forgiven him.  I just can't deny him, and it's obvious that he regrets what he did.  And that's good enough for me, as long as it never happens again.  "I said some pretty bad things too, Levi," I find myself saying, recalling some of the things that were said during that stupid fight.  "I wish that whole morning didn't even happen."

"You're not the only one," he murmurs, lowering his hands from his face.  "So...?  Where does this leave us?"

"Well, you _did_ just announce to the world that I'm your boyfriend, so you know, we can't disappoint them or anything," I joke, but it's slightly forced, because I'm nervous as all hell.

The nervousness disappears immediately though when he chuckles with a small smile, then leans in to press his lips to mine.  The kiss is soft, and so unlike any kiss I've ever had with him before.  His kisses, when he gave them, used to be out of sheer lust and burning desire.  They were always heated and hard, and they conveyed his need.  But this one....  His lips are gentle against mine.  There is no lust.  There is passion, but it is so very different.  This kiss is one of love, and I wish it would never end.

But eventually he does pull back from me.  He takes a gentle seat on the edge of my bed, and his eyes take on a hard look.

"Eren... I have to warn you that dating me....  Well, you're going to be in the spotlight a lot, and I can't promise you that you won't be harassed any less than you were before.  I swear I will do everything I can to make sure no harm comes to you, but engaging in a relationship with me won't be easy on you."

"I don't care," I reply quickly.  "I don't care, Levi.  I just want to be with you.  I don't care about the press, I don't care about the assholes that won't like it."

He smiles again, reaching up to brush my bangs from my eyes.  "Stubborn as ever, I see."

"Always," I smirk.

"So how are you feeling?" he asks.

"I feel like I got stabbed.  Oh wait..." I tease.

He rolls his eyes at me, but his expression isn't one of amusement.  It grows deadly serious as he glares at an indistinguishable spot on my sheets.  "I thought I was going to lose you," he murmurs.  "I nearly lost it when Erwin told me....  Hanji told him that you might not make it.  God I'm such a fucking idiot."  The one hand that's not holding mine with a death grip comes up to cover his face.  "I should've known that you'd receive as much shit over that article as I did.  I'm so sorry."

I squeeze his hand in reassurance.  I'm starting to feel groggy again, although the haziness never really left after I woke up.  I don't want to fall back asleep though.  I want to stay awake with Levi.  I just got him back.

"You can't blame yourself," I tell him.  My eyes feel heavy, but I force them to stay open.  "None of this is your fault."

He doesn't argue with me, but I can tell he doesn't believe me.  I tug on his hand and he looks up.  I reach my free hand over, ignoring the pull of my stitches, to grab the back of his neck and pull him down for another kiss.  He seems to relax as he melts into the kiss.  I run my fingers up through his undercut and into the longer hair and a shiver runs down his back.

"I love you too, Levi," I murmur after pulling back to rest my forehead against his.  "I always have."

"I know," he breathes.  "It took someone pointing that out to me, but I know now."

I smile as I lay back against the pillows.  Levi scoots closer to me and holds my hand tightly.  His other hand comes up to brush along my cheek.  It's so calming and my already exhausted body relaxes even further.  My eyes close and this time I don't fight it.

 

**Levi**

Eren falls asleep and I wish more than anything that I could lay beside him and hold him tightly in my arms, where he will forever belong.  But instead, I resign myself to sitting on the edge of his bed, holding his cold hand in mine.  The chill of his skin worries me quite a bit, but I know that he lost a lot of blood and that doesn't come without side effects.  I lean in to press a kiss to his forehead, then brush his bangs from his eyes.  When everyone comes back into the room a few minutes later, it's with great reluctance that I start to stand and release Eren's hand without waking him.  But it's his mother that stops me.

"You don't need to move, sweetheart," she says quietly with a soft smile.  "He looks happy."

I look back down at Eren's sleeping face turned towards me and can't help but smile.  I feel a little awkward showing such closeness and affection towards Eren in front of his parents, but it's worth it to be able to stay with him.  God, I can't even begin to explain how much I missed this.  I've missed being able to touch him, to be with him, to run my fingers through his hair, to kiss his soft lips.  I'll never make the mistake of leaving him again.  I don't think I'd survive it.

"So what's going to happen now?" I ask Hanji.  Eren may have woken up, and he may be out of the woods, but this is far from over.

"I already contacted the lead detective on his case and she's on her way now to take his statement.  I was hoping he'd stay awake long enough to answer her questions," she muses.  "I don't want to wake him just for that, but we might have to.  As far as his prognosis goes, the fact that he woke up and was cognitive means that he's out of the woods now.  We'll keep an eye on him for another few days, but as long as his stitches don't rip, he should make a full recovery."

I nod, squeezing Eren's hand.  I'm glad that part of the nightmare is over.  Eren is alive and he should fully recover from this.

"I'm not going to let him out of my sight until all of this is over," I say, more to myself than anyone else, but they all still hear it.  Eren may have survived this time, but if he gets attacked again, it could kill him, and there is no way I will let that happen.

Erwin steps forward.  "Levi... we have the last round of playoffs this weekend.  We're flying out to Huston tomorrow morning," he reminds me.

I frown.  How could I have forgotten about that?  I can't not go, and Eren won't be recovered enough to come with me.

Hanji clears her throat.  "He's going to be in the hospital at _least_ through the weekend, Levi.  He'll be safe here."

"We'll stay with him while he's in the hospital," Eren's father assures me.  "You're not the only one who's worried for his safety.  But we can't stay in Trost for too long.  Can we trust you to take care of our son when we have to leave?"

I feel like there is so much weight behind that question.  It's not simply about making sure he doesn't get attacked again.  I can hear it in his tone, and see it in the way his eyes burn into mine.  He's asking so much more.  He's asking if I will always be there to take care of Eren, to protect him, and also to love him.  I feel like if I answer this question correctly, I'll have the approval of Eren's father.

This whole relationship thing is so new and frightening to me, and I nearly choke under the pressure.  Approval from his father?  I've never even considered such an idea before.  But now here I am, sitting with the love of my life and being tested by his father, fighting for his approval.  I steel my resolve, just as if I were out on a soccer field, and answer the question.

"Yes.  I will take care of him to the best of my abilities.  No harm will ever come to him again.  And he'll never want for anything, be it material or affection," I reply.  The sentiment feels strange on my tongue, but I force it out anyway.  "I love your son, Mr. Jaeger, and by some miracle he loves me in return.  I won't betray his love or his trust.  I will be by his side to protect him and love him for as long as he'll have me."

Eren's mother has her hands over her mouth, her eyes watering.  His father exhales seemingly in relief with a small nod.  I've been accepted.  His parents approve of me.  I can't even describe my own relief.  I give Eren's hand a small squeeze.  I'll never have to let him go again.

Hanji steps forward to briefly explain Eren's recovery process to me and his parents.  He'll be here in the hospital for at least the next two days, and if Hanji deems his stitches healed enough to be discharged, then he'll be released.  She'll sign a doctor's note to keep him out of school for the upcoming week, informing us that he needs to refrain from any strenuous activity for the next seven days.  She gives me a discrete look and I roll my eyes.

"I'd restrict him to bed rest for the week, but I know he'll just ignore me," she says with a shrug.  "The most important thing is making sure he doesn't rip his stitches.  It will be very dangerous for him if he does, and this next week will be when they are the most fragile.  I'll need someone to constantly be checking his stitches just to make sure they aren't bleeding."

"We'll keep an eye on them," Mikasa says, gesturing to herself and Armin.  "We'll also make sure that he takes it easy."

"I'll help with that where I can," I say.

"Good," Hanji smiles.  "Once he-"

A soft whine interrupts her and I look over to see a frown on Eren's face.  His brow furrows and he turns his face further into the pillows.  He twitches, his grip on my hand tightening.  He's having a nightmare.  I stand quickly and lean over him, lifting a hand to run it through his hair.  I press my lips to his sweaty forehead.

"Shh," I breathe, holding his face in my hands as he continues to whimper and shake.  "Shh.  You're safe now.  I won't let anyone hurt you."

Eren startles awake with a gasp, attempting to shoot upright, but I hold his shoulders down, mindful of his stitches.  He breathes hard, looking around with wide eyes.  I continue to murmur reassurances to him and he slowly calms down.  When he sees everyone else looking at him with worried eyes, he attempts to pull away from me, but I hold him still.

"Don't move around so much," I murmur.  "You're going to rip your stitches."

I release my grip on Eren's shoulders once he calms down, and watch in slight amusement as he tries to shift a little away from me, a blush coloring his cheeks.  Although he's awake now, I don't predict it will last long.  He still looks absolutely exhausted, and like he's trying very hard to keep his eyes open.

I silently sit by his side as he talks with Hanji about the things she just discussed with us, and then with the rest of his family.  When the lead detective, Detective Langer, arrives, she asks everyone to clear the room so that she can talk to Eren privately, but Eren clings to me and tells her that he'd like for everyone to stay.  Hanji and Erwin step out to offer us a little more privacy, and the detective begins asking Eren a series of questions.  Eren seems to remember everything remarkably well, and when the questions come to an end, Detective Langer thanks Eren before dismissing herself.  Hanji comes back in to tell us that visiting hours have long since come to an end, and that Armin, Erwin, and I will have to leave, since we're not immediate family.  I don't argue with her, especially considering the regret in her voice.

"I'll come visit you tomorrow before I leave," I promise Eren, running my hands softly through his hair and down his cheek.

"Leave?  Where are you going?" he questions.

"We're flying out for the last round of playoffs early tomorrow morning," I tell him.  Our voices are soft, and it makes it feel like a private moment, despite that there is a room full of people watching us.

"That's right!  I'll make sure Hanji puts the match on for me," he says with a smile.  "If I'm sleeping, please wake me up?  I want to wish you good luck before you leave."

I nod and lean in for a soft kiss.  "Good night, Eren," I murmur.

"Good night, Levi," he smiles.

...

Isabel is at my apartment, pacing a hole in my floor, when I arrive home from the hospital.  She immediately turns on me.

"I'm not going to question why you did what you did on live television, because as your friend, I thought that was awesome, but as you agent, I must say that that was a really stupid move.  There's no taking it back now though, so we're just going to have to roll with it.  I'll work damage control this weekend while you're playing this last round," she tells me.  "But where have you been?  That conference ended almost two hours ago."

"Eren woke up.  I went to go see him," I tell her, shrugging out of my suit jacket and heading into my room.  She follows me.

"Eren woke up?  How is he?  Will he be okay?  Are you two..." she trails off.

"Hanji says that he's out of the woods now.  He'll just need to take it easy for a little while.  Knowing him though, it won't be that easy," I snort as I remove my monkey suit.  I hesitate for a few long minutes, just because I know that my lack of response to her unfinished question is driving her crazy.  Finally, I turn around to face her and can't stop the small smile as I say, "He's forgiven me for everything.  He told me he loves me, and he agreed to pursue a relationship with me."

"Oh my god Levi!" she squeals, throwing herself into my arms.  I have to take a step back to keep from falling over.  "I'm so happy for you!  I knew you two would work it out.  You two are perfect for each other."

"I don't deserve someone like him."  The sentiment flows of its own accord from my tongue.  It's starting to feel a little less strange though.  "But I'm never letting him go ever again.  Not unless it's what he wants."

...

We have to be at the airport at seven for our eight o'clock flight out of Trost.  So it's still really early, only slightly past six, when I park my car at the hospital and make my way into the front reception area.  I head straight for the elevators, but the receptionist calls for me to stop.

"Visiting hours aren't until seven, sir," she says.  "You'll have to wait."

I turn to look over my shoulder at her, trying my hardest not to glare.  "I won't be here long.  I need to see my... my boyfriend before I leave."

"No exceptions, sir."

"Oh, Levi!" Hanji's voice calls from down the hall.  "He's fine, Nifa!  I'll take him up."

The receptionist, Nifa, frowns, but turns back to her computer.  I hurry down the hall towards Hanji before Nifa can stop me again.  Hanji offers me her typical big smile as we enter the elevator together.

"How is he?"

"He's fine.  Not much has changed since you were here last night," she teases.

I nod, and follow her off of the elevator and down the hall to the intensive care unit.  In the small waiting room, I see Mikasa and Eren's mother leaning against each other, fast asleep.  Eren's father is laying across a few chairs, also asleep.  When I enter Eren's room though, I see that he's wide awake, his sketchbook in his lap and his pencil moving quickly over the surface.

He looks up and smiles when I enter, putting his sketchbook off to the side.  Hanji doesn't follow me into the room, leaving the two of us alone.  I walk over to his side and take his hand when he reaches for me.

"What are you doing up?" I question him softly, sitting on the edge of his bed.  "You should be resting."

He shrugs, then cringes at the pain from the movement.  "I've been sleeping for the better part of two days.  I'm not tired."

"You need a lot of rest, Eren," I chastise, even though I know he's too stubborn to listen to me.  "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling good," he tells me, and I can hear the truth in his tone.  He seems pleased by it, and he should be.  "I feel a little stronger.  I can't wait to get out of here."

"That won't be for a while yet," I tell him.  "But you're a tough little shit.  You'll be ready to go home before you know it."

He smiles, turning his gaze down to his hands in his lap.  "When I....  When I woke up this morning, I thought it had all been a dream.  I mean, everything you said last night.  I thought I had dreamt that.  A little part of me knew it had actually happened, but I... I thought it was too good to be true."

I reach up to brush his messy bangs away from his stunning eyes.  "I'm done hiding my feelings from you, Eren.  I've spent so long denying them, convinced that I couldn't possibly feel the way I do towards you.  Convinced that I couldn't allow myself to feel that way because of my career.  So don't go doubting those feelings now.  They are real.  They do exist.  I'm just sorry it took me so long to realize that."

He smiles again and pulls on my hand.  I lean in to give him a soft kiss.  He deepens it almost immediately.  It takes every ounce of control I have to end the kiss pull away from him.

"I've always loved you, and I've known for a long time.  It was really hard keeping it secret from you," he chuckles, then cringes.  "So what does this mean for your career now?  You announced our relationship on live television.  That can't be good...."

"I'm sure Zackly isn't very happy with me, but I haven't heard anything yet.  Isabel and Erwin said they would work damage control, but honestly I really don't give a fuck about what happens to my career," I admit truthfully.  "I would really like to finish this season, but if they want to kick me off the team because of who I love, then I don't want to play for them anyway."

"They wouldn't stand a chance without you.  They'd be stupid to kick you off the team," he huffs.

I press a kiss to his forehead.  "Don't worry about my career," I tell him.  "That's my problem to deal with.  Whatever happens, happens."

"Your problems are my problems.  I just don't think that's fair to you.  Soccer has been your life.  I'd hate to be the reason why you can't play anymore," he murmurs.  "So how long can you stay?"

"Not long," I tell him, deciding to let his other statements drop for now.  "I just wanted to come see you before I left."

"I'm glad you did," he smiles.  "Good luck at your match.  I'll be rooting for you.  I love you."

I know that's not the first time it's been said out loud, but it still has just as strong of an effect on me as if it was.  How could I have been so blind to this feeling?  How could I have fought so hard and for so long to bury it?  This feeling is... indescribable, and I wasted so much time hiding it that could've been spent embracing it.

"I love you too," I murmur, pressing my lips to his in a soft kiss.

He gives my hand one last squeeze, then I leave the hospital room, leaving Eren behind.  There's nothing more I want right now than to stay by his side all day long, reassuring him that my words of love aren't a lie, that I can't imagine my life without him by my side.  But I'll be back with him again soon.  And when I get back, we'll have all the time in the world together.  This is the last round of playoffs, and, if we win this final round, then the Cup will follow a couple of weeks after that.  The season is almost over, and although that saddens me a little, it means that I'll be able to focus solely on Eren, and start treating him the way I should've been all along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on [Tumblr](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/) and I'm tracking the tag "fic: fotp"


	27. MLS Playoffs Come to an End!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The amazing [erenbaegerr](http://erenbaegerr.tumblr.com/) on tumblr drew me some amazing [fanart](http://erenbaegerr.tumblr.com/post/124681597502/) so you guys should totally go check it out :3

**Eren**

Have I ever said how much I hate hospitals?  Well I do.  A lot.  With a burning passion.  They're so _boring_.  And too clean.  Much too clean.  Although I have to admit that ever since becoming close with Levi, I've noticed that the cleanliness of hospitals has grown comforting.  Levi keeps everything so perfectly clean.  His apartment, his car, his locker at Trost Stadium....  I've become so used to it that cleanliness has become a comfort to me.

The day drags, even though I fell asleep for four or five hours after Levi left.  I'm just really anxious for the match to start.  They are so close to the Cup Match.  I can almost taste it, and I think I am more nervous about this last playoff match than Levi is.

My parents, Mikasa, and Armin keep me company through the day, but it's still so boring.  I'm such a busy person that I'm not used to sitting around in one place all day long.  I want to get up and _do_ something.  Hanji lets me go on a short walk in the afternoon, with her and my father hovering by each arm to catch me if I stumble.  I'm fine though, and really they're just being obnoxious.  I'll admit that I'm still feeling a little weak, but I'm not about to keel over.  Sheesh.

Finally, _finally_ , it's nearing the time for the match to start, and Hanji turns on the television for me.  She pulls up a chair and takes a seat by my bedside.  She keeps glancing at the doors, which is weird, but I don't pay attention to her.  I'm too busy focusing on the match that will be on in thirteen minutes.

But then suddenly, she jumps to her feet and turns to me.

"They don't know anything about your hemophilia, I promise, they just know that you were attacked.  Well, everyone knows you were attacked, it was all over the news," she says quickly.

"What are you-"

I cut myself off when I see _exactly_ what she's talking about.  Out in the hall, every single one of my friends are making their way toward my room.  Hanji hurries over to the door and pulls it open.  "Hurry, hurry," she hisses at them.  "And shut up.  This is a covert stealth operation, remember?  So get your butts in here quietly."

I hear everyone giggle, but they do quiet down, and Connie is the first to bound into the room.

"Surprise!" he shouts with a huge smile.  "We're all here to watch the match with you!"

I sit there in shock.  I think I might just cry.  Everyone files into the room, and Sasha immediately hurries over to give me a hug.  Mikasa moves closer to my side, ever the protective sister, but Sasha is gentle with me and I return her hug.  Christa looks like she's about to cry as she shoves Sasha out of the way to give me a hug as well.

"I can't believe someone stabbed you!" she sniffles.  "Does it hurt?  Where did they stab you?  Have they caught the guy yet?"

The noise level in the room grows to a level that's very comfortable for me.  Hanji sneaks a few stackable chairs into the room and draws all the blinds.  I'm sure that the amount of people in this room is against the rules, but I'm so grateful that Hanji risked being reprimanded in order to sneak them all here.  Jean sprawls out on the foot of my bed, his back resting against my legs and his own legs dangling over the end of the bed.  Mikasa takes a seat on my bed, her back resting against the headboard next to me.  Armin pulls up a chair next to her and I don't miss him taking her hand.  Sasha plops down in Connie's lap in one chair, and Bertolt sits on the floor between Reiner's legs in another chair.  Marco takes a seat next to my parents and starts up a cheery conversation with my mother.

Everyone is close and comfortable and it makes a smile pull at my lips.  Even in this hospital room, healing from a stab wound, I still feel so happy.  The only thing that could make this better would be if Levi was here with me also, but if he was then we wouldn't be watching the Scout's match and everyone else wouldn't be here, so I guess I can live with this.

"Dude," Jean sniggers, tilting his head back to look at me.  "I still can't believe you're fucking- Ow!"  My kick to his ribs doesn't deter him though, and he continues.  "I can't believe you're in a relationship with Levi fucking Ackerman."

"What, you jealous?" I retort.

"Yes I'm jealous!" he huffs, then his eyes widen and he turns to look at Marco with a sheepish.  "I love you babe."

Marco just rolls his eyes and returns to his conversation with my parents.  I had really been hoping that no one would comment too much on my newly announced relationship status with Levi, but of course that is too much to ask of my wonderful group of friends.

"So those articles weren't wrong then," Reiner observes.  "What's the deal with that cheerleader chick then?  Was she just a cover or something?"

"Yeah that was after that first article came out, right?" Connie asks.  "When Ackerman came out and said that he was dating that cheerleader _just_ to deny that he and Eren were a thing?"

"But they _were_ a thing?" Reiner chokes.  "Shit why didn't you say anything when we were teasing you?"

"Because I couldn't.  Levi was still in the closet," I reply.  "Petra being his girlfriend was a cover arranged by Levi's agent and by Coach Erwin to try and dispute allegations that he is gay."  I really don't want to be talking about all of this, but my friends don't let up.

"Well that didn't work out for very long," Ymir snorts with a laugh.  "Two?  Three weeks tops?  Before that other article came out about you two that outed him."

"No, it didn't work for very long," I retort.

"That cheerleader chick was in the news today though," Marco points out.  "Did none of you see it?"

"Not all of us have jobs that require us to pay attention to the news," Ymir replies.

"Well she came out and confirmed that the entire relationship between her and Ackerman was fake, and was created to help protect Ackerman.  There's a lot of people that are proud of her for doing something like that to help him out.  The same people that are really happy to see Ackerman come out of the closet.  He may have a lot of people hating on him, but it seems like an even bigger group of people are supporting him and are proud to see some LGBT representation in the MLS."

"Really?" I question Marco, shocked.

"Yeah I saw something kind of like that in the news this morning," Christa speaks up.  "The LGBT community is going nuts.  They're practically worshiping Ackerman.  As well as the cheerleader girl for showing so much support."

"See Eren?  You guys don't have as many enemies as you thought," Sasha smiles.

"And I wouldn't be surprised if the owner of the Scouts is being pressured by a lot of people to keep Levi on the roster," Armin says.  "It really could go either way, but if he terminates Levi's contract at this time, the whole world will know that the only reason is because he is gay.  He's leading the entire team to the Cup.  And he's still only in his late twenties.  So the excuses that he's been doing poorly or that he's getting to the age that he needs to retire anyway won't be valid arguments."

"I agree," Jean says.  "There is literally no reason to release Ackerman.  So if they do, the whole world will scream discrimination."

"Same with the cheerleader," Christa agrees.  "There is no reason to get rid of her either, so if she gets reprimanded, it will only be because she tried to help Ackerman."

Hearing that makes me feel so much better.  I hadn't thought much about Petra, what with everything else on my mind, but what happens to her after all this came out was definitely a concern.  It's nice to hear my friends back her up and say that she can't be reprimanded without backlash on those trying to reprimand her.  And the same goes for Levi.  I hadn't thought about how many people would be supporting Levi.  The LGBT community is a very large community and with something this huge occurring in a very public manner, it wouldn't surprise me that they'd be all over it showing support and threatening to make Zackly's life hell if he terminates Levi.

The match finally starts, ending the discussion.  Excited murmurs echo through the room as the pre-match announcements are read off and the teams start to take the field for the match to begin.  Even my parents seem to be paying attention to the television as the starting whistle is blown.  Yeah, now that I'm dating the striker, they care about the match.  They always used to tell me to give it a rest when I obsessed over this team during high school.

The match begins and Levi starts off the match dribbling the ball down the field, passing it back and forth between his other forwards.  The excited murmurs turn into cheers as the Scouts make some good plays.

"Connie, give us some numbers," Reiner says, followed by a chorus of agreement.

"Well, Stohess is playing the last match of their last round right now, so we'll know probably by halftime how they did in their match.  But is anyone really expecting them to lose?  They've already practically won," Connie laughs.  "Anyways, as far as Huston is concerned, they've been a pretty strong team, but we've beaten them more times this season than they've beaten us, so hopefully we'll be able to come out on top in this match.  Really the chances are good.  I mean, if you take Stohess out of the picture and then look at the stats for the rest of the league over the season, the Scouts absolutely dominated the rest of the field.  That achievement is just dulled by the fact that Stohess dominated _us_."

"So the chances are good that Stohess and Trost will play each other in the Cup match then," Jean says.

"Yes, very good.  But really, anything can happen," Connie warns.

Focus goes back to the television and the noise levels go up drastically as Farlan moves the ball quickly down the field completely uncontested after a fluke play by Huston.  His long legs and incredible speed have him all the way up at the goal without a single defender on his tail.  He throws in some fancy footwork, confusing the goalie, before sending the ball smashing into the back of the net.  Yes!  One nothing Scouts and we're only ten minutes into the match.  I wince as my own cheering pulls at my stitches, but I try to ignore it.

The door opens and Hanji hurries in, hissing a "shhh!" at us as she closes the door quickly behind her.  "You hooligans are going to cost me my job," she grumbles, weaving her way through chairs and college students to make it over to my side so she can check my stats and my stitches.

Hanji stays in the room with us after that.  She says that her shift in the trauma bay is over so she can focus solely on me.  I think she's really just interested in watching the match, and she wants to make sure we all keep it down.  But it doesn't take her long to end up cheering as loudly as we are.

I watch Levi on the television screen and I think I'm still in shock over what happened yesterday.  It's hard to believe that any of it was real, and that I'm in an official and very much public relationship with the star athlete on the television.  A smile is threatening to split my face as I watch the man I love handle the soccer ball with such grace and fluidity.  He really is something else, and he's all mine.  And the world knows he's all mine.

"What are you grinning about, kiddo?" Hanji chuckles as she looks over my stats again once halftime rolls around.

I shrug, wincing at the sharp pain in my side.  "I'm just... really happy.  I may be in the hospital after almost dying, but I don't think my life could get much better right now."

...

Of course the Scouts won.  Of course.  The whole team played their heart out on that field, and Levi especially seemed to leave everything out there.  He played better than I've ever seen him play before.  He was so determined, so passionate, and it was mesmerizing to watch.  I found myself wondering what had changed, and tried not to relate his new enthusiasm to the recent change in our relationship status.

Hanji ushered everyone out of the room as soon as the match came to an end, but my parents and Mikasa and Armin were allowed to stay.  They tried to throw Armin out too since he isn't family, but he managed to convince the staff to let him stay because of his connection with the hospital.

Levi called me right after the match to check up on me and make sure I was doing okay and promised to see me tomorrow.  But tomorrow is almost over and he hasn't shown up yet.  I keep watching the door as I lay there bored out of my skull, waiting for Levi to appear, but he doesn't.  Now, the Scouts match is due to start in a few hours so I know he won't be here today.  I try not to be too disappointed by that.  I know that this is the last half of the last round of playoffs, so it's very important.  I'm sure the whole team was very busy all day.  I just wish that he didn't make a promise that he couldn't keep.

"Can I leave now?" I ask Hanji for the hundredth time that day as she checks my stitches.

She straightens quickly with an exasperated sigh.  "You little punk, if you ask me that one more time I swear on everything you love that I'll never let you leave.  I'll keep you here forever, trapped in this tiny room."

"Nooo Hanji please I'm _so bored_ ," I whine.  "Pleaseee let me out of this prison."

She just laughs.  "Actually, you are leaving in a few minutes."

"Really?  Fuck, _finally_ ," I groan, collapsing back into the pillows.  "Thank you Hanji."

"Don't thank me yet," she says, her tone a warning.  "Listen closely.  I know your rebellious, stubborn nature is going to make you want to disobey everything I'm about to say, but you need to listen to me when I say that if you ignore my advice, you _will_ end up back in here under the knife and I _won't_ be releasing you early next time.  You need to take it easy, Eren.  I'm serious.  I've already contacted Trost University and told them to excuse you from the next two weeks of classes.  I'm recommending bed rest for at least the next week.  And not the kind of bed rest that involves Levi."

My face burns with a heat and redness that would put the sun to shame as I quickly look down into my lap.  I thank my lucky stars that my parents already left to go home and weren't here to hear that.

"No strenuous activity, no activity at all, you understand?  Your stitches need to be checked twice a day by either Armin, Mikasa, or Levi, not by yourself.  At any sign of bleeding, bruising, or swelling, you will need to be brought straight back here.  Is that clear?  I already told those three exactly what to look for, so if they say you need to come back here, don't fight with them."

"Yes Hanji," I sigh.  I really don't want to end up back here sooner than necessary, so I resign myself to follow all of Hanji's instructions.

"Good.  Now, your ride is here," she says with a smile.

I look to the window to see Levi and Armin walking down the hall, Armin pushing a wheelchair and Levi wearing his Scouts jersey and soccer shorts, drawing all sorts of attention from the other people in the hospital.  My heart starts racing at the sight of Levi.  He didn't break his promise.  He came to see me.  But, what is he doing here?  The match starts in a few hours, he should be at the stadium getting ready for it.

The two enter the room as Hanji unhooks me from all the machines and monitors.  Levi crosses the room and helps me get to my feet before pressing a soft kiss to my lips.

"How are you feeling?" he asks, holding my elbows for support.

"Perfect now," I automatically reply, and try not to cringe with how corny that sounds.

"Good.  Because we have a match to go to."

My eyes widen and my grip on his jacket tightens.  "We?"

He smirks.  "Yes, we.  I already cleared it with Hanji and with Erwin.  You'll sit on our bench with the team.  As long as you promise to be careful it will be fine."

A wide smile threatens to split my face.  "Thank you Levi," I breathe, hugging him tightly.

He hugs me back cautiously, then Hanji hands me a set of clothes to change into.  Armin helps me change in the bathroom before insisting that I sit down in the wheelchair.  I start to protest, but I guess that's hospital policy or something.  Levi takes up the handles behind my back and he and Armin lead me down to the ground floor where Hanji has me sign some paperwork, then Levi continues out of the hospital.  I take a deep breath of the fresh air and look up at Levi with my signature shit eating grin.

"You better be careful, brat," he tells me, but his voice is soft as he stops my wheelchair on the curb.  "I don't want to have to rush you back here in the middle of the match."

"Yes, mother," I retort, and laugh when Levi smacks me upside the head.

He heads off to go get his car, and I wrap my arms around myself as a cold breeze blows through.  Snow still covers the ground, and it look like it might start snowing again soon.  Armin squats next to me, wrapping his own arms around his upper body.

"So Levi invited me to come and sit on the bench with you during the match," he starts to say.  "But would you prefer it if I declined his offer?  I know you won't be alone, but this is technically your time together, and I don't want to intrude.  And I think he only invited me out of politeness."

"You can do whatever you want, Armin," I tell him, reaching over and squeezing his arm.  "You're my best friend.  I'll never brush you aside for Levi.  If you want to come, then by all means, come."

He smiles, looking down at the snow covered ground.  "You're a great friend, Eren.  And I know you'd never replace us with him.  But I'll let you two have this night together.  This is going to be one hell of a match, and you should share it together, just the two of you, no matter the outcome."

"You do realize that the entire rest of the team will be there, right?" I laugh.  "And a stadium full of spectators.  We're not going to be alone."

"You know what I mean," he replies with a roll of his eyes.

"Yeah, I do.  Thanks Armin."

...

With Levi's green Scout's jacket wrapped snugly around me, he leads me to the bench on the side of the field where the rest of the team and coaching staff are already gathered.  It's still pretty early, but the stadium is already  starting to fill up and press are already starting to gather.  The other team is here and is warming up on one half of the field.  It looks like the Scouts are about to start doing the same thing on the other end of the field.

"Eren!  You're looking good!" Farlan says with a smile, jogging over to clap me on the shoulder as I take a seat on the end of the bench.  Some of the other players come over as well.  "I'm glad you could make it to the match.  I'm sure Levi will really benefit from having you here in person to cheer him on."

Levi rolls his eyes and Mike elbows him in the side.  "Especially considering how he played last night when you _weren't_ there.  He played that match for you, did he tell you that?"

"Shut up, Mike," Levi hisses as my eyes widen and a smile pulls at my lips.  "Come on, we need to get out on the field."

Mike and Farlan nod, and Mike ruffles my hair.  "We're glad you're doing okay, Eren."

They turn to jog back out onto the field and Levi leans down to press a firm kiss to my lips.  Flashes go off to my left, and when Levi pulls back from me, I see the cameras from the press corner pointed at us.  Levi doesn't even acknowledge them, as if they don't even exist, yet I'm left blushing and staring at my shoes.  Levi's hand is warm on my cheek, and then he's turning to join the rest of the team on the field.

When the match starts, the excitement in the stadium is practically tangible.  It's absolutely packed, and louder than I've ever heard it before.  This is the very last match of playoffs.  If the Scouts win here, then they're on to the Cup Match to play against Stohess for the Cup.  I watch Levi play his heart out on the field, and I wish more than anything that I could be pacing the sidelines with Erwin, calling out to him.  Or that I at least had my camera with me to take pictures.  But I keep my cheering to a minimum, trying not to move around too much or to shout too loudly.  My side stings from time to time, but for the most part I completely forget that the wound is even there.

When halftime rolls around, the score two to one with Huston in the lead, Levi immediately jogs up to me and kneels down in front of me.

"Let me see your stitches," he demands of me, still breathing hard and sweating profusely.

"It's only been a few of hours since I left the hospital," I complain, grabbing Levi's towel out of his bag on the bench next to me to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"Let me see them," he insists, and instead of fighting him further, I lift the side of my shirt with an exasperated sigh.  Levi removes the glove from his right hand and gently runs his warm fingers over the stitches.  I can see the flashes from the cameras in my peripheral, but I ignore them, just as Levi is doing.  "No bruising or bleeding, no swelling either."

"I'm fine," I promise him.  "Stop worrying about me and focus on the match."

"It's not that easy," he replies, pressing a quick kiss to my forehead before joining the rest of the team gathered around Erwin to talk second-half strategy.

When the teams take the field again after half time comes to an end, the energy in the stadium shifts.  I can feel it.  The Scouts are trailing.  They need to win this match.  The energy is nervous and desperate.  Or maybe that's just my energy.  It's hard to tell.  But either way, the Scouts really need to get it together.  Eld scored the Scouts' goal in the first half.  Hopefully he can do it again, or Levi and Farlan will finally get some shots on goal.

But as the second half progresses on, and the score shifts to three to one Huston, then to three to two Huston, I start to get really nervous.  Mike isn't playing his best tonight, so Levi and his other forwards are going to have to really step up their game.  The Scouts manage to tie it up with three minutes left in the match, and the tension in the air of the stadium could be cut with a knife.  The clock ticks down as the ball moves back and forth between teams.  My heart is in my throat as time after time, Levi and his forwards get the ball up the field only to lose it before having the chance to make an attempt.  But Mike is doing a good job now of keeping Huston out of the net, so all the Scouts have to do is get one more in the net.  Just one more.

With twenty seconds left in the match, I've already accepted the fact that they'll be going into overtime.  But when Levi suddenly ends up with the ball after a failed pass by Huston, racing down the field towards the Huston net without a single defender on his tail, I'm on my feet with wide eyes.  The entire stadium seems to fall silent as we watch with bated breath.  Levi may be short, but damn is he fast as he flies down the field.  I take a few steps closer to the sideline as Levi approaches the goal.  The goalkeeper gets ready to try and block Levi's attempt.  Levi keeps charging forward though, and when the goalkeeper lunges forward to intercept him, Levi spins around the goalkeeper and launches the ball into the completely open net.

The stadium erupts in cheer and I join in, completely caught up in the moment.  I punch the air with a loud cheer, ignoring the pull on my stitches.  Levi is cheering as well, and when the stadium buzzer sounds, signaling the end of the match, Farlan races up behind Levi and nearly tackles him to the ground.  The other forwards soon join those two in their mob, followed by the half backs, then the fullbacks, and then even Mike is jumping into the huddle.

Everyone is cheering.  The stadium is deafening, the entire team- including the backup players- are celebrating out on the field, the coaching staff is all going nuts, and I can't stop grinning like an idiot as I watch Levi cheering with his team.  Everything is looking up now.  I survived my attack, Levi confessed his feeling for me, and now the Scouts are going to battle Stohess for the Cup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have an announcement: There will NOT be an update next Saturday or the Saturday after. I may post a chapter on that following Sunday, but no guarantees. I'll be on vacation and will have almost no internet access. And it turned out that this chapter ended on a good note so I don't feel too bad about leaving you guys hanging :)
> 
> Second announcement: I am changing my penname to 'kylar' for personal reasons. Just thought I'd give you all a heads up.
> 
> I'm on [Tumblr](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/) and I'm tracking the tag "fic: fotp"


	28. Perpetrators in Heinous Crime Arrested!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! But after this chapter I only have one more chapter completed, so although I'm hoping to continue Saturday updates, that could stop depending on how quickly I write the next chapters. So we'll see how that goes.
> 
> But thank you for your patience these last two weekends! I hope you enjoy this chapter and a little smut after so many chapters without :3
> 
> **EDIT:** The smut in this chapter is bottom!Levi and it is skippable if you don't like that. I meant to put this warning when I posted but I forgot. Sorry to everyone that I offended :/

**Eren**

Levi drives me back to my complex, and walks with me up to my apartment.  When we get to the door though, he doesn't follow me inside.  Armin and Mikasa are there, hovering, but I wish they'd give me a minute alone with Levi.  He's still amped from his win, but he's holding himself back.  I really don't want him to- victory sex is the best sex ever- but I'll reluctantly admit that I really shouldn't be having sex right now.  I want this stupid wound to heal as fast as it can so that I can get back to my normal life.

"Congrats," I tell him again, standing outside the apartment.  Mikasa and Armin are still standing in the open door, not seeming to understand that I want this to be a private conversation.

He just offers me that sinful half-smile, then leans in to press a soft, yet passionate kiss to my lips.  I could literally melt with how happy I am.  Everything feels so different between us now, but in a good way.  His personality and how he acts hasn't even changed much, but just the way he doesn't hesitate to kiss me, the way his hands hover gently at my hips, the way he looks at me.  It's as if nearly losing me sparked something deep within him, a caring and passionate side of him that I never knew existed.

When he ends the kiss, he takes a step back from me.  "Take it easy.  I'll be by to see you sometime tomorrow.  And seriously, Eren, be careful, stay in bed, listen to your sister and friend, and mind what Hanji told you.  Don't make me tie you down to that bed."

I quirk an eyebrow at him with a shit-eating grin.  "Is that a threat or a promise?"

"Okayokayokay," Armin interrupts, his cheeks burning as he steps between us and starts pushing me into the apartment.  "That's enough you two.  Eren, you really should get in bed.  You're looking a little pale."

"Fine," I sigh in exasperation, then look back at Levi.  "Goodnight.  I love you.  And go have fun tonight.  Don't worry about me."

He smiles.  "Love you too, brat.  And don't worry.  I'm heading out to go celebrate with the guys.  We're going to get drunk and party well into the morning.  But I will always worry about you."

My cheeks are burning as Mikasa closes the door behind Levi once he disappears down the hall and immediately turns on me.  "Lift your shirt.  Let Armin look at your stitches."

"Oh my god guys I've only been out of the hospital for like, five hours, and Levi already checked at half time," I complain.

"You heard Dr. Zoe.  You have to let us check your stitches."

I exhale sharply and yank up my shirt.  Armin pokes and prods at my stitches, and when he deems them okay, I drop my shirt and head towards our shared bedroom.  I really am tired, so I shed everything down to my boxers and crawl into bed.  It doesn't take me long to fall asleep to thoughts of Levi and how completely happy I am.

...

The next week goes by horrendously slow.  Mikasa and Armin are super strict about me either staying in bed or staying on the couch.  I'm literally dying of boredom.  I've painted a dozen paintings and I even got ahead in my schoolwork for the next few weeks, that's how bored I am.  Levi stops by every day before his practices to check in, but he doesn't offer much in the way of boredom relief.  I didn't think I'd ever see him reject my advances like this.  I didn't think it was possible for him.  But I guess I was wrong.

Mikasa, Armin, and even Levi do their best to keep the newspapers away from me, but they all have classes and practice and I'm alone for long periods of the day.  It's not hard to call up Jean or Connie and ask them if Levi and I are in the headlines, or to just walk down to the corner of the block and buy a newspaper from the convenience store.  There's also the news on the television, but that's boring to watch.  Levi and I haven't been in the paper as much as I feared due to the Scouts winning their division and making it into the Cup Match.  That's the big news.  But the two of us becoming public is still news, and I've still read more stories about us than I'm willing to count.  Most are only slightly offensive, while a few are outrageously offensive and even less are neutral.  As for the outrageous ones, Isabel has assured me that she and Levi's lawyers are taking control of the situation.  Unfortunately there's not much they can do.  Freedom of the press and all....

But I really don't give a shit.  The papers can say whatever they want about Levi and I.  I don't need the public to approve of our relationship.  All that matters is that I love him and that he's officially mine.  I don't have to keep it a secret anymore.  I can shout it from the rooftops if I so wish and they can all suck my dick.

I'm also excited for the Cup Match.  I've been following every televised discussion of the match by the sports commentators on their shows.  Predictions are being made, most not in favor of the Scouts.  But what do they know?  It's not like they're professional sports analysts or anything.  Wait....  Well fuck their opinions anyway.  Scouts are going to cream Stohess.  And it's only a week away.  The teams get one weekend off between the end of the playoffs and the Cup Match, so now there is only one week left to go.

A knock on the door startles me awake from where I had passed out on the couch.  It takes me a minute to gather my bearings, then I'm jumping off the couch clad in only my boxers to answer the door.  Levi must be stopping by during his lunch break?  He did that a few days ago and it was a very pleasant surprise.

I answer the door, a smile on my face, only to freeze in the doorway.  Hanji raises an eyebrow at me, then steps around me into the apartment.

"I'm just... going to go put on some pants..." I murmur, hurrying into my bedroom to grab the cleanest pair of jeans off the floor and pull them on.  I don't bother grabbing a shirt, knowing that she must be here to look at my stitches anyway, before heading back into the front room.

I assume correctly.  She immediately has me sit down on one of the bar stools so that she can kneel in front of me and closely inspect the neat line of stitches.

"I have to say, now that you and short stack got back together, you're much easier to be around," she says with a smirk pulling at her lips.  "I'm sorry, dear, but being around you after the split was so emotionally draining.  I hope you two are... taking it easy though?"

I roll my eyes.  "Yes, Hanji, we haven't had sex.  Like at all.  And do you realize how much that sucks?  We got back together and we can't even _do_ anything."

She chuckles, prodding at a tender spot at the top of the line.  "Patience, honey, you'll be free to do all sorts of nasty things very soon."

...

After another week, I'm back in school and Levi is gearing up for the Cup Match.  It's this coming weekend.  Saturday.  At five o'clock.  I'm much more excited for it than he is, especially after he tells me that he scored me a sideline pass, which wasn't easy.  He bought me a plane ticket to the city the match will be held in, and convinced Erwin to let me stay in his hotel room the night before and after the match.  I won't be able to fly out when he does, because I have school, but I'll be leaving right after my last class on Friday and staying until Sunday afternoon.  It's like a weekend getaway with Levi, with the addition of a Cup Match in the middle of it.  I can't wait.

Going back to school isn't nearly as bad as I expected it to be.  I guess everyone saw the press conference that Erwin held the night I woke up in the hospital.  And I guess everyone is taking Levi's threat, and our newly announced relationship, seriously.  I've even had some people personally apologize to me, which shocked the living hell out of me.  I really wanted to tell them they could shove their apologies up their asses, but I decided to be the better man and accept them.

In addition to that pleasant news, Wednesday afternoon I get a call from Detective Langer that one of the assailants that attacked me was caught, and that he immediately gave up his buddies, who were tracked down and arrested as well.  She gave me all the information she could about when they'd be processed and when it would go to court.  She wants me to testify, and I agree.  I want to personally see those three asshats sent to prison for what they did to me.  I'm so excited by the news that I immediately call up Levi as soon as I hang up with Detective Langer.

The phone rings and rings and I think it's about to go to voicemail when it's answered.

_"Hey kiddo,"_ a voice says.  It's definitely not Levi's.

"Hey.  Is this... Eld?" I guess.

_"Yes it is,"_ he says.  _"Levi is in the showers.  We just finished up practice.  I'll go get him for you."_

"Thanks," I say with a smile.

_"So how have you been doing?"_ he asks.  I can hear the sound of lockers slamming and voices laughing in the background.  _"Levi says you're healing well?"_

"Yeah, the stitches have been removed and my doctor cleared me to go back to school, although I don't know how much of a good thing _that_ is," I joke, and he laughs.  "Seriously though, I feel fine but everyone is still so cautious around me.  It's actually quite annoying."

He chuckles again.  _"I bet.  Hold on, I found Levi."_   He must be covering the phone with a hand, because his next words come through muffled and faint, but I still hear them.  _"Hey hot stuff.  Your boy toy is on the phone."_

_"Give me the fucking phone, fuckwad,"_ I hear Levi grumble, and I cover my mouth with my hand to stifle a giggle.  _"Is everything okay?"_ Levi asks me once he gets the phone from Eld.

"Everything is fine.  Great, actually," I tell him.  "They caught the guys that attacked me.  All three of them.  The trial will take place in four to six weeks."

_"Fuck that's great,"_ he exhales, sounding very relieved.  _"That's really great, Eren.  I'm glad they were caught.  Are you going to testify?"_

"Hell yeah I'm testifying.  I'm going to do everything I can to make sure those assholes get put away."

_"Good.  I'll be there to pick you up in about an hour.  We can go back to my place and celebrate, yeah?"_

"Definitely," I say, a huge grin pulling at my lips.  I have always thoroughly enjoyed Levi's style of celebrating.  And shit it's definitely been long enough.

We hang up and I quickly scarf down the dinner Mikasa made before packing a bag to take to Levi's.  Mikasa seems concerned, but she doesn't say anything.  She probably already knows where I'm going and that trying to talk me out of it would be pointless.

"Just be careful," she warns me as I head for the door an hour later.  "At any sign of bruising or bleeding, call Hanji right away."

"I will," I promise her.  "And you should trust that Levi wouldn't let anything happen to me."  She nods, then I head out the door and down to the parking lot.

Levi is just pulling in as I reach the parking lot, and I eagerly climb into his car.  I lean over to press a kiss to his lips, and his calloused fingers come up to stroke my cheek.

"So tell me everything Detective Langer told you," he says as we leave the complex.  "How did they catch these bastards?"

"I guess they found the knife they stabbed me with in the snow and when they dusted it for fingerprints they found one usable print.  They got a match on it and arrested that guy, and he immediately gave up the names of the other two and they were also arrested."

"Good," he says.  "That's great.  You haven't been having any other troubles have you?  I know you're back at school.  They're not harassing you, are they?"

"No.  I think everyone is taking your threat seriously," I tell him with a smile.  "The biggest problems I'm having are with the press.  They keep loitering around school and around my complex trying to ask me questions.  And I can't step foot in Trost Daily without getting bombarded.  I think I might have to quit, but I really need that job."

He nods.  "The press is always a nightmare.  I've been having my fair share of issues with them lately.  They're vultures.  The lot of them.  Do whatever you have to do, Eren, and if money is the only thing stopping you from leaving, then don't worry about that.  I'll take care of you."

"But I don't want to have to depend on you," I reply with a frown.  "I don't want to have to rely on anyone."

"I've never really been in an actual committed relationship before, so I really have no fucking clue what I'm talking about, but isn't that part of being in a relationship with someone?  I want to take care of you.  I have more than enough money to support you, Eren.  And after all, it's because you're in a relationship with me that you're having to quit one of your jobs."

"Alright alright," I surrender.  I know that tone.  He's going to be stubborn about this, and he's not going to give up.  I might as well just give in for now.  It's actually nice to hear those words from him, talking about being in a committed relationship and wanting to take care of me, so I'll let him say nice things like that.  "So how was practice?  Are you guys ready for the Cup Match this weekend?"

"As ready as we'll ever be," he replies.  "We're playing Stohess, so I don't think we'll ever be ready.  We'll just have to go out there with all we've got and hope for the best."

"I think you guys have a chance.  Yes, Stohess is a very strong team, and has been for a number of years, but you guys are very strong this year as well.  I think you have an actual chance at beating them this weekend.  And my friend Connie does as well, and he's always tracking standings and stats and that sort of thing."

He seems amused by this, and the rest of the drive to his apartment is spent in a comfortable silence.  When we reach Levi's floor, he pulls me into him and his lips find mine.  He's soft, but passionate, as he leads me to the couch.  I know where this is going.  The same place it has always gone since I left the hospital.  But I don't want that.  I'm healed now.  I want a lot more from him.

I break the kiss and turn us so we're heading for his bedroom.  He hesitates, but doesn't stop me, letting me lead him into the bedroom and onto the bed.  He hovers above me, his lips leaving burning trails down my jaw and neck and collar bones.

"It's been so long since we've been together like this," I breathe, easing his shirt off over his head.  "I've missed being together with you like this.  Remind me what it's like, please."

He hums into my neck.  "I will give you everything you could ever want," he promises me, but then pulls back to look me in the eye.  "Only if you promise to tell me if you are hurting or if it's too much."

"When have I ever not promised you that?" I question him, tracing my fingers along the ridges of his abs.

He smiles, but then sits up quickly.  "There is actually something I want to try with you, something we haven't done before," he tells me, climbing off the bed and heading to his closet.

A smile spreads across my face.  Perfect.  I'm very excited to try this new thing with Levi.  I ease myself further up onto his bed and relax into the thick comforter and pillows.  Levi comes back with a simple blindfold and pair of padded handcuffs.  My smile grows as he ties the blindfold around my head, then secures my wrists to the headboard.  I feel his hands on me, trailing up my sides.  He hesitates at my wound, running a finger along the stitches, but then continues.  His touch sends fire through my whole body.  I want him so bad, I've been longing for him for so long.

His hands leave me and I wait in anticipation for what's to come next.  I lift my knees and spread my legs for him, but pushes them back down onto the bed.

"Not yet," he murmurs.

His hands leave me again.  I hear the pop of a cap, but I don't feel his fingers on me.  I fidget, the anticipation building.  My cock throbs against my stomach, begging to be touched.

"I haven't done this is a long time, so bare with me," he tells me, his voice soft.

I feel him shifting on the bed, then suddenly his hands are braced on my hips.  One hand wraps around the base of my cock, then the warmth of his slicked entrance is pressing down on the head.  I gasp, not expecting such a feeling.  He's... bottoming?  He's letting me love him in the way he's loved me so many times?  Why is he doing this?  Not that I'm complaining, not at all, I just wasn't expecting it.

"L-Levi?" I stutter as he sinks further down on my hard cock.

"Does it feel good?" he asks, his voice shaky.  "Because you feel so good, Eren."

I can't even respond.  Levi 's tight heat engulfs me completely and I'm left gasping at the sensation.  I've never had anyone like this before.  For all the times Levi and I have had sex, I am practically a virgin in this situation, and Levi is stealing my virginity for the second time.  But I can't think of anyone else I'd want to have it more.  Levi sits on my lap, my cock buried to the root in his entrance, for a moment longer.  His breathing is ragged, his hands shaking ever so slightly against my stomach, and at every shift a moan leaves his lips.  I wish I could see him.  I wish I could touch him.

After another long moment, he shifts forward and his lips find mine.  I kiss him back hungrily, and I can feel his fingers working at the tie of the blindfold.  It falls from my eyes and the sight before me leaves me breathless.  It's so weird seeing Levi like this, so vulnerable and not in control.  It's an odd feeling, but I find that I really like it.  Not as much as I like seeing him above me, controlling me, dominating me, but I could definitely get used to reversing our roles every once in a while.

Levi sits on my cock for a minute longer, and I watch every twitch of emotion that crosses his beautiful face.  Then, he lifts himself off my cock until only the head remains in his tight heat.  I moan at the sensation, both our voices mingling in the quiet room.  He sinks down onto my cock again, much faster this time.  And harder.  I try to think of what Levi always does to me when we usually have sex.  I roll my hips and he gasps.

"L-Levi," I beg.  "I want to touch you, please...."

"I'll release you... only if you promise to let me do all the work," he tells me, rolling his hips against mine and pulling an needy whine from my lips.  "Just lay back and enjoy it."

I nod and he leans forward, his lips trailing up my neck as he reaches up to unlock the handcuffs.  Once my wrists are free, I immediately move them to his hips, trailing my fingers down the outside of his thighs.  He shivers under my touch and his lips find mine.  I buck my hips up into his and he moans against my mouth.  He sits up, bracing his hands on my chest as he lifts himself.  He fucks himself on my cock and I grab at his hips.  I thrust my hips up to meet his, but his hands move to my waist to still my movements.

"You agreed to let me do all the work," he reprimands me.

"I don't want to," I growl, sitting up quickly and pulling him against my chest.  He doesn't protest and I hold him tightly as I rock my hips into his.  He shifts his legs on either side of me so that he can bounce up and down on my cock.  His own hard cock rubs between our stomachs and I can feel his piercing leaving a cold trail up and down my stomach.  I shiver at so much stimulation.

"Come on, love," Levi growls into my neck.  "Fuck me.  Fuck me hard, fuck me fast.  I don't want to be able to walk, let alone play soccer tomorrow at practice."

I tighten my grip around Levi's waist and flip us so that he's on his back.  My wound stings slightly, but it's quickly forgotten.  Levi looks surprised for a moment, but then I slam my hips sharply into his and the surprise fades, replaced quickly by pleasure.  He moans and curses loudly as I thrust into him.  I'm surprised at how loud his is beneath me, when above me he's not nearly as vocal.  But it turns me on to hear him curse and moan my name.  I try to remember everything he does to me, everything I like.  I hook my arms under his knees and lift his hips to get a better angle.

"Oh _fuck_ ," he groans, throwing his head back.

I thrust into that spot again and again and Levi turns into a writhing mess beneath me.  I silence his vulgar cries with a searing kiss.  I can feel my orgasm quickly approaching, but I'm determined to make Levi come first.  I reach between our sweaty bodies and find his cock.  I stroke it in time with my thrusts and it doesn't take long for Levi to come completely undone.  He bites my lip as he comes heavily across both our stomachs.

"Oh fuck sorry," he breathes when he pulls back from me, wiping a thumb across my lips.  But no blood comes away on his thumb and I close the distance between our lips again as I slam my hips back into his.  I'm so close, I can feel myself about to go over the edge.  "That's right, fuck me Eren, fuck me harder.  Come for me.  Come inside me."

His words drive me over the edge and I come buried deep within him.  The only sounds that fill the room are that of our heavy breathing.  I hover above Levi, my arms shakily holding me up and his legs still wrapped around my waist.  After a minute, I pull out of him and roll onto the bed beside him.

"That was... incredible, Levi," I breathe.

"You were something else, brat," he replies.  He rolls over onto his side and runs his fingers along the healing wound on my side. "You're feeling okay?  No pain?"

"Nope.  All I feel is good," I reply with a smirk, rolling over to wrap my arms around him and nuzzle my face in his neck.

He presses a kiss to my forehead.  "I've missed being with you," he tells me hesitantly.

The smirk fades from my lips and my eyes widen a little as I pull back to look at him.  He's been a little softer and a little more... lovey with me ever since we confessed our feelings to each other in the hospital, but it's still such a weird thing for me to witness.  I'm not used to him being so caring.  And although I absolutely love it, I'm still trying to get used to it.

"I've missed it too," I finally manage to reply.  "More than you'll ever realize.  I love you Levi."

"I love you too, Eren."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on [Tumblr](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/)


	29. Preparations are Made for Cup Match!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys I reeeally like this chapter, so you gotta tell me if you like it too. And we haven't had a Levi POV in a while, so I had to fix that at the end of this chapter :3

**Eren**

"I'm so jealous!  I can't believe you get to watch the Cup Match from the side lines."

"I still can't believe he's fucking Ackerman."

"Seriously, where do I sign up for my hot celebrity fuck?"

"Come on guys, be respectful.  They're not just fucking, they're in looove."

I roll my eyes as everyone laughs.  Reiner, Jean, Connie, and Ymir are all drunk and can't control their gross chortling.  Marco, Krista, and Bert are trying to get them under control while Sasha eggs them on.  Armin and Mikasa haven't been drinking at all, and Annie seems to be the only one not overdoing it with the drinking.  I'd probably be just as drunk as the others though if I wasn't still on antibiotics and pain medication.  Mikasa is keeping close watch to make sure I don't get any alcohol.

The trip to the bar was supposed to take place tomorrow night, Friday night, but they wanted me here so they could tease me.  So everyone is getting wasted on a Thursday night.  I actually informed Levi earlier this afternoon that we'd be going out, and then suggested to my friends that we go to Bar Rose.  It's nearing nine, so Levi and the rest of the team should get here any minute now.  I decided that my friends all earned this surprise after all the support they showed me after the article was first released.

"So sweet....  Our innocent Eren got that ill-tempered, unapproachable, short asshole to soften up," Jean snickers.

"What does being short have anything to do with my cold personality?"

Jean startles and whips around, nearly falling out of his chair, to see Levi standing there with a smirk on his lips.  The rest of the team is entering the bar, and Erwin, Mike, and Farlan are laughing at Jean's shocked expression.  Levi gives him a hard pat to his shoulder before moving behind my chair and leaning over to place a kiss on my lips.  I return the kiss, then shoot a gloating smirk at Jean who is still too startled to form words.

"All of you scoot.  Make room for the guys."

Mike, Farlan, Eld, Gunter, and Oluo all drag over chairs, along with Levi, Erwin, and even Hanji.  She presses a kiss to my cheek and pulls up a chair beside me, with Levi on my other side.

My friends are all staring at the players, the ones at our table and the other ones taking up residence throughout the bar, their mouths open and eyes wide.  Connie looks like he's about to pass out.  He elbows Sasha in the side and turns to her to ask, "Am I dreaming?"

"You're Connie, right?" Levi asks before Sasha can answer, looking over at me for confirmation when Connie just continues to stare at him.  I nod.  "So Eren tells me you're a bit of a stats expert?  And that you think we have an actual chance against Stohess this weekend?"  Levi waves at a waiter to bring him a drink.

That seems to snap Connie out of his trance and he seems to instantaneously sober up.  "Y-Yeah, you definitely do," he replies hurriedly.  "Stohess lost their striker in the last round of playoffs to an injury, and he was the main strength of their team.  Their replacement is decent, but for the Cup Match?  I don't think he'll be as successful as he needs to be.  Their other forwards are very good though and if they step up their game, it'll make things challenging.  Also it would seem that Stohess' fullbacks aren't doing so hot right now.  They've been struggling to keep the ball away from the net through most of the playoffs.  Their goalkeeper is one of the best in the league, so he's making up for their slack, but you guys could definitely use that to your advantage."

Levi seems impressed, and he turns his attention to Erwin.  "Have you noticed this problem Stohess is having with their defenders?"

Erwin seems equally impressed with Connie's observation.  "I haven't.  I'll have to go back and watch the tapes again.  This could change our strategies.  That's very impressive, kid."

Connie's whole face starts to turn pink and he quickly looks down at his hands on the table.  "But that's not all.  On top of all of that, the Scouts have one of the best strikers-"

" _One_ of the best?" Levi interrupts with a snort, taking a sip of his beer.

"Uh, second best behind the Stohess striker, who is now out on injury, which makes you the best active striker in the league right now.  And Mr. Zacharias-"

"Mike," Mike interrupts.

"Uh, Mike, _is_ the best ranked goalkeeper in the league.  The Scouts have all the tools and advantages needed to win the Cup this weekend, you guys will just need to use them correctly."

"Well we'll definitely be taking your advice into consideration," Erwin tells him.  "Hopefully it'll be good advice and we'll make it out on top."

"Here here!" Reiner and Jean shout simultaneously as they hold up their almost empty drinks.  But they're still drunk and they end up gross chortling again over their accidental synchronization.

"Looks like you guys were already partying hard long before we showed up," Farlan chuckles.

"Then we better catch up," Levi smirks and calls the waitress over again.  "A round on me," he tells her, gesturing to the table, but then points at me and clarifies, "Except for him.  He gets a water."

I exhale sharply and sink down in my chair.  I guess Levi knows I'm still on pain meds.

"Good short stack.  I trained you well," Hanji teases.  Jean and Reiner are trying so hard not to laugh.  I think beer might actually come out of Jean's nose any minute now.

Levi shoots her a hard glare.  "Call me that one more time and we'll see how well trained I am."

"Now now, children," Erwin chuckles, always the peacekeeper between his star striker and his girlfriend, "how about we start acting like the grown adults we are?"

"Hanji?  An adult?  Don't make me laugh," Levi retorts.

"And you can't honestly consider someone that short a _grown_ adult, now can we Erwin?" Hanji jibes.

"So how was practice?" I ask quickly before this pissing contests gets out of control.  Although, all my friends definitely seem to be enjoying the exchange.

"Practice was a bitch today," Levi says, then turns slightly to look at me.  "I was really sore for some reason."

I can feel my face starting to burn so I look down at my almost empty cup of water, sliding the glass around on the smooth table top.  I don't even have to look at Levi to know he's smirking.  But thankfully, _before_ my cheeks burst into flames, the conversation continues on, Erwin bringing up the Cup Match again.

We stay at the bar for another few hours, my friends quickly becoming comfortable with the players and carrying on conversations with them.  Levi even talks a lot with my friends, which seems kind of unusual for him.  He's not much of a talker, and is usually a sarcastic asshole with everyone.  But none of that shows here, and none of his crude humor comes into play.  It takes me a while, but I eventually realize he's trying to be on his best behavior in front of my friends.  He's trying to impress them, and I can't even begin to describe how happy that makes me.

As everyone decides to pack it in and head home, designated drivers are assigned to both my plastered friends and Levi's wasted teammates.  Erwin is a little peeved that some of the players drank so much, because I guess their flight tomorrow morning is ridiculously early and he doesn't want to have to deal with a hungover team.

When it's determined that Levi isn't needed as a designated driver, he takes my hand, his fingers interlacing with mine, and sneaks us out of the bar.  I let him drag me towards his car, a wide smile on my face.  I'm sure Mikasa will be calling me shortly when she realizes I'm gone, but I don't really care right now.

When we get back to Levi's apartment, he's all over me.  His lips are on mine and his hands are sliding up my shirt.  Now that Hanji has cleared me to return to regular activities, Levi seems to be taking full advantage of that.  We make our way into the bedroom and collapse back onto his bed.  Our clothes disappear quickly, and I can hear the buzzing of my phone on the floor, but I ignore it as Levi pops the cap on the tube of lube.  His cold fingers circle my entrance, and I gasp as they slowly press in.  It's been a while since I've felt this sensation.  Last night was the first night we slept together since we had that fight, and I topped.  Just thinking about last night, about being inside Levi, gets me impossibly hard.

Levi settles between my legs, leaning over my so he can press open mouthed kisses to my chest and collarbones.

"What, no fancy shit today?" I tease him when it becomes obvious that he's not going to go get anything from his closet.

"No," he replies, his lips trailing up to my neck.  "Tonight it's just us."

He starts to press into me and any snarky comment that might've been on the tip of my tongue disappears immediately.  I gasp, my hands fisting in the sheets.  He hesitates and his hands pry my fingers from the sheets, his weaving together with mine.  He grips my hands tightly on either side of my head as he presses a deep kiss to my lips and presses into me.

The sensation is different than what I'm expecting, what I'm used to.  He goes slow, every movement, every action, fueled by passion and love rather than lust.  Well, there's definitely lust there too.  I moan against Levi's lips as he thrusts deeply into me.  His lips leave mine to suckle a trail down my neck.  I know the entire side of my neck will be dark with bruises tomorrow morning, but I've gotten to the point where I don't really give a fuck.  Any bruise given to me by Levi is a bruise I'll love.

I feel his teeth graze along my collarbone as he continues to thrust into me.  He nips there, but not nearly hard enough to break the skin.  His lips move back up to my lips and his tongue dives into my mouth.

For the first time in the history of our relationship, I feel like I can say Levi is making love to me rather than fucking me.  And I love it.  Our lips muffle each other's moans as Levi starts to pick up the pace.  One of his hands releases mine so that he can reach between our bodies and stroke my aching cock in time with his thrusts.  His lips leave mine to trail up to my ear.

"I love you," he breathes against my earlobe, sending a shiver wracking through my whole body.

After a while longer of slow, deep thrusts, searing kisses, and sweet nothings whispered against my ear, I reach my peak and come, covering Levi's stomach and my hand.  It doesn't take Levi long to follow my lead.  His thrusts hesitate as his hot seed fills me.  I can feel him shudder against me before he collapses onto the sheets beside me.

After we both come down from our high and clean ourselves up, I start to crawl on top of him for round two, but he rolls me back onto my back.  He presses a kiss to my lips, then trails them down my neck before climbing out of bed.  He crosses the room to turn off the lights before rejoining me.

"I have an early morning tomorrow so I'm afraid that's all for tonight.  Go wank off in the bathroom if you're still horny," he tells me.

"You're so romantic," I deadpan, rolling over to face away from him.

He chuckles softly, then eases up behind me, wrapping his arm around my waist.  "I do try," he teases, pressing feather light kisses across the back of my neck, causing a shiver to wrack through my whole body.

"If you're serious about being done for tonight, then you better stop that or else I _will_ go wank off in the bathroom," I tell him.

He chuckles again, but his lips disappear from the back of my neck.  His hand draped over my waist finds my hand and he weaves our fingers together.

"Goodnight Eren."

"Goodnight Levi. I love you."

...

My alarm wakes me early the next morning.  I groan loudly, my hand blindly fumbling around on the night stand to shut off my phone.  It falls to the ground and the obnoxious tone stops playing.  I exhale sharply, rolling over to reach for Levi.  My hand encounters only sheets and my eyes open to see that I'm all alone.  Oh that's right, Levi's flight was really early this morning.  He must've already left.

I sit up with a huge yawn and go to reach over the side of the bed to grab my phone, but something catches my eye.  There is a key sitting on top of a small note on the night stand.  The key is just a normal silver key, and I pick it up, looking it over before reaching for the note.

_Brat,  
The key is a spare to the apartment. Sorry I couldn't take you to class. I'll see you tonight._

I think he said his flight left at quarter after seven, which means he should still be in the terminal.  I quickly grab my phone off the floor and dial his cell.  It rings and rings and rings and I'm almost afraid he's already on the plane, but then he answers.

_"Hello?"_

"You realize that I don't actually need to lock the apartment after I leave right?" I tease with a smirk.

_"You're taking all the romance out of this, you little shit,"_ he retorts.  _"And after you gave me a hard time for not being romantic last night."_

"I'm just messing with you, grumpy pants.  I'm actually really happy right now, okay?" I tell him, twirling the key in my fingers.

_"Good,"_ he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice.  _"Sorry I had to abandon you this morning, but I promise I didn't strand you at the apartment.  Isabel will be there at quarter after seven to pick you up and take you to school, or to your apartment, wherever you need to go."_

"I could've caught the bus, you know," I sigh.  "She's not my chauffeur.  She doesn't even work for me, she works for you."

_"She has to stop by the apartment anyway to drop some things off.  So she might as well stop by in the morning and take you with her when she leaves,"_ he says.  _"But I have to get on the plane now.  So I'll see you tonight, I love you, and be safe, okay?"_

"Okay okay, I will mother.  I love you too."

I hang up the phone and look back down at the key resting on my palm.  A grin pulls at my lips.  I have a key to Levi's apartment.  That's a pretty big step, especially for Levi.  But he made the decision all on his own without me even having to ask about it.  I had never even thought to ask.  He must be handling this whole committed relationship thing pretty well, and that makes me extremely happy, almost giddy.

Even seeing that I have a missed call and a few texts from Mikasa doesn't dampen my mood.  She didn't blow up my phone so she's probably learned by now that I went home with Levi.  I read over the texts and see that she does think I'm with Levi.  I shoot her a quick text back to tell her I'll be at the apartment in a little while, then I climb out of bed and head to the shower, carrying the same clothes I had been wearing yesterday to dress into.  I absent-mindedly wonder when Levi will let me start keeping some clothes here.

I've just finished getting dressed and am heading out into the front room when I hear the elevator ding and the doors open.  Isabel steps out of the elevator, looking over a few pieces of paper.  She's dressed professionally, as always, with her high heels, pencil skirt, and a button up blouse.  She looks up when she sees me and startles.

"Oh my... what happened to your cheek dear?" she asks.

Aw man....  I pull my phone out of my pocket and hold it up, trying to catch my reflection on the black screen.  I know exactly what I'm going to see, and sure enough, there is a dark bruise about the size of a golf ball on my left cheekbone.

"I... must've run into something last night," I tell her with a shrug and a forced laugh.  "I really don't know how I could've gotten it."

She doesn't look convinced, but she doesn't press the issue.  She places the papers on the end of the kitchen island, then heads back for the elevators.  "Alright, whatever you say."

 

**Levi**

The entire team is on edge and tense as game day approaches, including myself.  Just one more short practice tomorrow morning before the start of the Cup Match.  But I'm nervous for an entirely different reason.  The match won't be nearly as big a deal to me as what will happen after.  If we win, that is.

As the entire team enters the locker room to cool down after a long, hard practice, I make my way to my locker and pull it open.  I first check my phone.  No messages from Eren.  He must not have landed yet.  I arranged for a driver to pick him up and take him to my hotel and I've notified the hotel that he'll be arriving later in the day than I did, and to give him a key to my room.  Eren knows all of this, I explained it to him a few days ago.  So there's no reason to worry about him.  He'll be fine, and he'll message me when he lands.

I put my phone back on the shelf in the locker, then pick up the small box next to it.  I move a little closer to the locker to shield the object from any prying eyes, then open the lid.  The silver band glints in the dim light of the locker room and my heart begins to race again.  Leaning my forehead against the cold metal frame of the locker, I stare at the ring for a very long minute.

I realized not long after Eren left the hospital, not long after I finally confessed my feelings to him, that he was the only person I'd ever want to be with for the rest of my life.  There's no one else like Eren, no one else that will ever come even close to making me feel the way Eren does.  I love him, more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone.  And I know that these feelings aren't temporary.  This isn't something that will fade and go away in time.  This love is real.  I never want Eren to ever leave my side.  I don't know if that's more sweet or selfish, but it's true.  I want Eren with me for the rest of my life, and I want him to know I feel that way.

When I realized this, I decided that I wanted to ask Eren to marry me.  The decision just felt right.  That doesn't change the fact that it absolutely terrifies me.  Only a couple months ago, the very thought of commitment scared the hell out of me, and now I'm ready to ask Eren to commit to me forever?  Normally I would wait for a while before even preparing to pop the question, but for some reason I promised myself that if we won the Cup Match, I'd ask him then, on the spot.  If we don't win, then I'll wait, I'll allow more time for this relationship thing to grow more steady and comfortable before taking the next step.

But I still have the nagging feeling that this is too soon.  Sure we've been technically together for a long while, about half a year, but we've only just started this committed relationship.  Am I rushing things?  What would Eren even say if we did win and I asked him?  Would he even say yes?  Would it scare him?  Maybe I can think of something to say that would make the question seem less urgent, that would tell him it's okay to say no if this isn't what he wanted.  Not that I think he'd ever do anything he didn't want to do.  He's so strong willed and when he gets set on his ways, there is really no stopping him.  He might not want to be tied down to me forever.  What if he doesn't want that level of commitment?  What if he's fine with where our relationship is now and doesn't want to change that?  What if popping the question too soon scares him and he says no and leaves me in front of hundreds of thousands of people?

Oh fuck I need to sit down.  I take a step back and the backs of my knees connect with the bench.  I land heavily on my ass and try to take deep breathes to calm my nerves.  The box is gripped tightly in my hand, dangling between my knees.  I hang my head and continue to stare at the shiny silver band.  What if I'm making a huge mistake?  What if this is a really bad idea?  Maybe I shouldn't do this.  Maybe I should just return the ring and-

"Is something-" a voice suddenly starts to ask from right next to me, startling me and making me nearly drop the small box.  I snap it shut quickly and shove it into the pocket of my hoodie.

I look up to see Erwin standing wide eyed next to me.  Shit, he saw the ring.  He looks shocked, but a smile starts to pull at his lips as he takes a seat next to me.

"I'm assuming that's for Eren," he starts by saying.  "May I see it?"

I can't even begin to form words right now, so I silently hand him the small box.  There's no hiding it now anyway, at least from him.  He takes the box and opens the lid.  The silver band sits innocently in the black velvet.  A thin line of bright green stones curve and snake across the surface, interwoven with a line of very light grey, almost blue, stones.  The green gems are nowhere near matching the beauty they are meant to represent, and I don't think any color in the world could ever come even close, but the grey is pretty good.

"It's beautiful," Erwin says, closing the lid and handing it back to me.  "Did you have it custom made?"

I nod.  "That was the closest color green they had, but it's still not even close."

"It's supposed to match his eyes?"  He continues when I nod again.  "That kid does have incredible eyes.  I'm not sure there is anything that can match them."  It's quiet for a long minute before he speaks again.  "When are you going to ask him?"

"After the Cup Match, if we win," I answer, feeling my heart start to race again.

"And you're having second thoughts?" he guesses.

I don't answer.  I don't have to.

"I have never known you to second guess yourself Levi.  That's one of the reasons you're such a good striker.  You know what you have to do and you do it without hesitation, without any doubt.  You make up your mind and you carry it through.  This is no different.  If you've already decided that this is what you want to do, enough to have already had a custom ring made, then you need to go through with it.  If you're worried about his answer, then I'll be the first to tell you that you shouldn't be.  The way that boy looks at you, the amount of love he obviously feels towards you, it should be illegal.  Eren won't refuse you.  I know he won't.  And I think he'd be elated to have the man he loves propose to him following a Scouts victory in the Cup Match."

I continue to stare at the box in my hands, not saying a word as his all sink in.  Everything he's saying I know to be true.  Even about how Eren feels towards me.  He's put up with all of my bullshit for so long, he's come back even after I hurt him, and after all of that he still loves me.  Erwin is right, I shouldn't be worried.  But the butterflies won't go away.

"Don't doubt yourself, Levi.  You never have before," Erwin says as he stands.  "But I will say this: don't let this affect how you play on the field.  You need your mind to be clear.  You need to stay focused.  This whole proposal won't even happen at all if we don't win, right?  So focus on this first.  How disappointed do you think Eren would be if we threw the match because your head wasn't in the game?"

I nod.  He's right.  I can't be focusing on this now.  I need to focus on the match.  Because it won't matter at all if we don't win.

"My head will be in the game, I promise," I tell him with as much conviction and determination as I can muster.  I stand and face him.  "And thank you, Erwin.  I really needed to hear that.  All of it."

He smiles and grips my shoulder.  "Of course, Levi.  I've told you before, but you're more than just a player on my team.  You're my friend.  And if you backed out of this decision because you got scared I'd never forgive you."

I laugh and turn back to my locker as he walks away.  I reach into my pocket and hesitate.

"Wait, Erwin," I call after him.  He turns as I jog up to him.  I hold out the ring.  "Can you keep this safe for me until tomorrow?  I don't want to leave it in my bag and risk something happening to it during the match.  And I'm going to need it handy when we win."

He chuckles and takes the small box, tucking it into an inside pocket of his green Scouts jacket.  "It would be my honor.  Now go get some sleep.  You have a very big day tomorrow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OwO
> 
> [My tumblr](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/)


	30. Both Teams Struggle in Cup Match!

**Eren**

My flight lands at the airport late, so I'm in a hurry to get off the plane and find a taxi to take me to the hotel.  When I see a man holding a sign that says 'Jaeger' as I'm jogging out of the terminal, I suddenly remember that Levi said he'd arrange for a driver to pick me up.  That man sure knows how to spoil me.

I'm jittery the entire ride to the airport.  I'm excited for the Cup Match tomorrow, but I'm also excited to spend the weekend here with Levi.  I know it doesn't seem like much, but even just this short weekend away with him feels special.  He won't be around at all tomorrow, what with practice in the morning and the match in the afternoon, but that's okay.  The nights are going to be the fun part anyway.

The driver pulls up to the curb in front of the hotel and I pull out my wallet to pay him, but he assures me that the fee has already been covered.  I thank him, then hurry from the car and into the hotel lobby.  I give the receptionist my name and he quickly gets me checked in and hands me a card key.  With that taken care of, I hurry to the elevator and up to the correct floor.

Excitement has a grin on my face and my hands shaking as I unlock the door and push it open.  All the lights are off, but the light of the city streaming in through the open window illuminates the entire room.  The first thing I see is that Levi is laying on his back on the bed, completely naked, and also asleep.  One hand is tucked behind his head and the other is holding his phone on his stomach.  Shit, he must've been waiting for me to message him.  I completely forgot.  Oops.  I guess I'll just have to make it up to him.

I quietly lower my bags to the floor, then shed my clothes and careful crawl onto the bed next to him.  I ease the phone from his fingers and place it on the nightstand.  With a grin, I lower my face to kiss just below his belly button.  I trail light kisses down into the neatly groomed patch of hair above his groin, then even lower to his half hard cock.  It starts to harden as I swirl my tongue around the crown, and Levi stirs a little, but doesn't wake up.  I smirk, taking the head into my mouth.  I swallow deeper and deeper, and by the time my nose is buried in that coarse hair, he's completely hard and waking up.

I moan around his cock as his eyes begin to open.  They fly wide when he realizes what woke him up, and his hands fall automatically to my hair.

" _Fuck_ Eren," he groans, and I hum, working my mouth up and down on his cock, swirling my tongue around the head and shaft.

His fingers tighten their grip on my hair, but he doesn't try to control my movements.  He leaves that all up to me, and I quickly reposition my legs underneath me so that I can properly suck on his perfect cock.  I flick my tongue over his piercing and it pulls a sinful noise from his lips.  His hips thrust up into my mouth a couple of times and I grip tightly to his thighs, holding myself still and letting him fuck my mouth.

After a few minutes, I feel his hands pull back on my hair.  I release his cock, it leaving my mouth with a wet pop, and one of his hands leaves my hair to fist his shaft.  He pumps it quick and hard for a few strokes before he comes, splattering my lips and nose and cheek.

His hand falls limp from his softening cock, but his other hand doesn't leave my head as he relaxes boneless into the bed.  His hard grip on my hair loosens and he threads his fingers up, messaging at my scalp.  I lick clean what I can reach with my tongue as I crawl up his body.  He grabs a tissue from the nightstand and cleans up the rest of my face, then I lean in to press a kiss to his lips.

"Good morning," I tease, laying down across his body, my chin pillowed on his chest.

"Shut up," he grumbles, but still leans in to press a kiss to my forehead.  "Did you just get here?"

"Yeah.  My flight was delayed," I tell him, trailing the tip of my tongue up his chest and along his collarbones.

He shudders, his hands falling to my sides.  His calloused fingers trace up my sides and then down my back.

"Why didn't you call me?" he asks.

I stop my licking up his neck and drop my forehead onto his shoulder.  "I'm sorry.  I meant to, but I was in such a hurry to get out of the airport and get here that I didn't even think of it."

A hand comes up to threat through my hair and I lift my face from his shoulder to press a kiss to his lips.  When I pull back, something in his eyes shifts and his other hand comes up to skim over my left cheek.

"What happened?" he questions.  "Or is this just normal bruising?"

"It's just normal bruising," I assure him.  "I woke up with it."

"Does it hurt?"

I roll my eyes at him and reposition myself so I'm straddling his hips, my hands splayed out over his strong chest.  I can feel his cock already beginning to harden against my ass and I grind down onto it.  "No, it doesn't hurt.  And I had a checkup with Hanji earlier this week and she said I was perfectly healthy.  But do we really want to talk about that right now?"

Levi moans and shakes his head, sitting up as one hand grips my hip and the other reaches into the drawer of the nightstand where he must already have everything ready.  He pulls out a small tube and pops the cap, spreading the cold fluid across his fingers before circling them around my entrance.  I lift myself off of his lap to give him better access.  My breath catches in anticipation, then his finger is pressing into me.

My legs are trembling as I hold myself up.  Levi's arm wraps around my waist and he pulls me against his chest to help hold me up.  I bury my nose and mouth in his dark hair and I feel his teeth skim along my collar bone, followed by his lips.  He adds another finger, stretching and scissoring me, preparing me to take his hard cock.

He adds a third finger and my arms wrap tightly around his neck, my fingers digging into his shoulder blades.  I've noticed that Levi tends to take a little longer preparing me, now that he knows about my hemophilia.  He does a much more thorough job of making sure I'm stretched and ready for him.  I feel like I should be upset that he's acting different, like he promised he wouldn't, but in reality I just find it sweet.  He's taking the time to make sure he won't hurt me, even though he's never hurt me before.  He loves me, and I guess this is how he's showing it.

When he finishes preparing me, his arm tightens around my waist and he rolls us so that I'm on my back, Levi hovering above me.  He reaches back into the drawer and pulls out a very familiar pair of handcuffs and a black cloth.  He firsts locks my wrists to the headboard, then I smirk at him as he covers my eyes with the cloth, tying it securely behind my head.  Everything goes dark and my heart begins to race.

I hear Levi riffle around in the drawer again, then one hand is taking my cock, his thumb stroking over the head.  I moan, throwing my head back into the pillows, writhing under his light, teasing touch.  His loose fist glides down my shaft to the base, and then his warm lips are surrounding my crown.  I bite my lip to stifle the embarrassing noises that would've left my lips.  I feel fingers on my mouth as he eases my lip from my teeth.  His lips leave my cock.

"I want to hear you, Eren.  Let me hear you," he murmurs.

"Please, Levi..." I moan, pulling at the cuffs.

His mouth takes my cock again and I feel something press to my entrance.  It feels smooth as he eases it into me.  Must be one of his toys.  It starts to fill me and I whine, unable to stop myself.  His mouth is still working wonders on my aching cock and the double stimulation is driving me crazy.  I pull at the handcuffs again, wanting to touch him, to thread my fingers through his hair, to pull the blindfold down so I can watch him swallow me whole.  But at the same time the handcuffs and blindfold do wonders to heighten every other sense.

The toy fills me, and Levi stops pressing it into me.  There's a pause, only the feeling of Levi's tongue swirling around my shaft, before suddenly the toy in my ass vibrates.  Strong but short.  I gasp, my entire body tensing.  Levi hums around my cock, and fuck him I know he's amused by my reaction.  The toy vibrates again, longer this time, pressed against my sweet spot, and I can't even describe the sounds that leave my mouth.

Levi's mouth leaves my cock and he eases his way up my body, his hand stroking my shaft and the toy still vibrating in my ass.  His lips trace my collar bones and up my neck as he settles between my eagerly spread legs.

"L-Levi," I whine when he doesn't do anything.  The toy vibrates, on and off, and is driving me crazy.  I'm already so close....

"What do you want, Eren?" he asks against my throat.  "Tell me."

"I-I want you," I beg.  "Please, Levi."

It doesn't take much more than that.  He slowly eases the toy from my entrance and replaces it equally as slowly with his throbbing cock.  He presses the still vibrating toy to my own hard cock and I almost come then and there.

I grip the post of the headboard that I'm cuffed to hard as Levi pounds into me.  One hand holds tightly to my hip as the other fists the vibrator with my cock.  He strokes the vibrator up my shaft in time with his hard thrusts.  I cry his name over and over as he pounds into me.  I can feel his lips trailing up my sweaty chest until he gets to the junction of my shoulder and neck.  He suckles there, leaving a patchwork of hickies and bruises.  Then, his hand leaves my hip and I feel him reach for the handcuffs.  They click open, and he pulls down the blindfold.  I immediately wrap my arms around his neck, my fingers clawing at his shoulders, and hungrily take his lips with mine.  My legs circle his waist and I hold him against me.  As we kiss and make love, I find myself thinking that I never want it to end.  I want to feel like this for the rest of my life.  I never want to be without Levi.  This just feels so... right.

...

This is it.  This is game day.  It's all come down to this day, this one match.  Levi woke me up this morning with his fingers pressing at my entrance and I immediately knew that today would be a great day.  After more than one vigorous round of hot sex that left me boneless on the mattress, Levi left for warm-ups with a kiss to my temple and a few sweet words whispered into my ear.

I was lazy getting up and getting ready this morning, but after a little while I just couldn't lay around anymore.  I walked around the city and bought lunch with the money Levi left me.  After hours and hours of aimless wandering, I start making my way back to the hotel so I can get my camera and head to the stadium.  I can feel a bruise forming on my right knee, added to the numerous bruises I already have from Levi last night and this morning.  Just thinking about it makes me smile, and I lift a hand to press to the sensitive skin on my neck beneath the collar of my jacket.

When the stadium comes into view down the block, I start to feel even more excited.  I hold my camera close to my chest with one hand, the other clutching my sideline pass as I hurry towards the doors of the huge indoor stadium.  It's still about two hours before the start of the match but it's already packed with fans.  Many are dressed in the green and white colors of the Scouts and just as many others are dressed in the orange and black of Stohess.

I make my way to the entrance marked for sideline pass holders and the security guard waves me through.  When I enter the stadium, my eyes widen.  Bright stadium lights shine from the high ceiling, and the stands hold what has to be at least fifty thousand screaming fans.  Vendors walk up and down the sections, wearing bright yellow shirts and caps.  On the field, both teams are warming up, shooting goals and running drills.  I catch sight of the cheerleaders from both teams, each on either side of the field, leading a few cheers.  Coaches and sideline staff are gathered around the entire field.  I see Coach Smith with Dok and Pixis on the opposite sideline that I entered on, so I hurry around one goal net towards the other side.  I stop to take a few pictures of Zacharias in the net, and Church and Jinn taking shots.  I look for Levi and see him huddled with Shultz and Bozado looking over a paper.  He must be talking strategy with them.

I continue around to the Scouts' sideline and hesitantly approach the bench.  I'm not really sure where I'm supposed to be, or where I'm not allowed to be, but no one is stopping me so I continue all the way to the bench.

"Hey Eren!  Good to see you here," Berner says as he jogs up to the bench, clapping me on the shoulder and reaching for a bottle of water.

I smile in response.  "I'm not really sure where I'm supposed to be though," I tell him.

"Right here," he says with a smile, gesturing to the bench with his chin.  "Take a seat.  Sit back and enjoy the match."

"Thanks," I smile.

He jogs back out onto the field to rejoin his group.  I don't sit though, remaining standing and lifting the viewfinder to my eye to take a few more pictures.  I notified Marco the other day that I was quitting my job at Trost Daily.  He completely understood why I was doing it, but asked me to take pictures for the Cup Match anyway since I was already going to be there and he didn't have enough time to find a replacement.  So while most of these pictures will be of Levi for my own personal use, I make sure to take a bunch for Marco to use in the paper tomorrow.

I wander up and down the sideline for the next hour or so, taking a bunch of pictures.  The refs start calling for the players to clear the field so that the preparations for the start of the match can be made.  I lower my camera to skim through the last few pictures I took, deleting the ones that didn't come out.

"Eren?" a tentative voice says behind me.

I turn around quickly to see Petra standing there, dressed in her uniform and holding a pair of pompoms, one green and the other white.

"Hi Petra," I say.

"Oh, what happened to your cheek?" she asks in concern.

God fucking damn it, there are times that I hate my hemophilia even more than normal, and now is one of those times.  Why do I have to get bruises on my face?  I can cover just about everything else, but my face?  Fuck I'm going to be hearing that question a lot until it goes away.  "I wasn't paying attention and walked into a post," I shrug.  Isn't that the excuse I gave Levi when we first started getting to know each other?  That I kind of regularly run into posts?

"Oh okay," she says, but still looks concerned.  Does it really look that bad?  "I heard all about what happened to you a few weeks ago.  I'm glad to see you're doing better."

"I am too," I reply with a laugh.  "I finally got the all clear from my doctor a couple days ago, so all of that is behind me now.  But, uh, I heard that you've been standing up for Levi to the public a lot recently.  And you took a huge risk by agreeing to be his cover girlfriend.  I ended up ruining all of that, but I never did get the chance to thank you for it, so thank you.  It's great to know that Levi has friends like you."

She smiles.  "Of course I'll stand up for Levi.  He's been a good friend to me for a long time.  There was a way for me to help him and I took it without hesitation.  If I could go back, I'd do it again."

I can't help myself.  I pull her into a tight hug.  She's startled for a moment, but then she hugs me back.  I've always been lucky to have Mikasa and Armin with me, and I don't know what I'd do without them.  So knowing that Levi has friends like that makes me so happy.

I release Petra and she presses a kiss to my cheek.  "I'm glad you found Levi, Eren.  You're so good for him, and he loves you so much.  You're changing him for the better, and I could never thank you enough for being that influence on him.  I have to go now, but enjoy the match!"

I wave as she jogs back to her squad, then I head back to the bench where the rest of the team has gathered, going over strategies and other such things.  I hang back, taking pictures of the huddle.  It's easy to pick out Levi in the huddle considering he's a head shorter than the rest of the team.  It makes him stand out rather comically.

The announcers have already started announcing for the match, reading off all of the same crap they read off before the Cup Match every year.  But it does its job in getting me pumped and excited for the match.  My heart is racing as Stohess starts to take the field.  I catch Levi's eye just as the huddle breaks to move onto the field.  I give him a thumbs up and a big smile.  I'm surprised by how nervous he looks though.  He doesn't usually get shaken before a match.  He usually runs out onto that field guns blazing.

The nervousness in his eyes quickly disappears though, covered by his game face, and he offers me a small wave before jogging out onto the field to take up his position at the center line.  I still don't take a seat as the refs take the field, then the whistle blows to start the match.

The crowd is loud, just like at any other match this year.  Only, this one feels so much different.  This one is the big one, the end of the line.  This is what both of these teams have been working hard to achieve all season.  They've made it to the Cup Match and they're both determined to take home the cup.

From the very start of the match, from the very first kick, I immediately know that this match is going to be a close one.  And very stressful.  Both teams struggle hard to keep the ball from the other team.  Levi ends up on the ground tangled with another player more times in the first ten minutes than he has all season.  Ness and Siss struggle to keep the Stohess forwards out of scoring position, and the Stohess fullbacks struggle just as hard against Levi and the other Scouts forwards.

I pace the sidelines, along with Erwin, Pixis, Dok, and the rest of the backup players.  I try to stay out of their way though as I take my pictures.  Although I try to take pictures of everyone, my focus is on Levi.  And the ball.  I watch it go back and forth between teams, turnovers, passes intercepted, failed attempts on goal, fouls....  It's nerve wracking, and as the game progresses, the score doesn't.  There are a lot of shots on goal, for both teams, but none actually make it into the net.  Both goalkeepers manage to do their jobs exceedingly well.

A particularly bad pass leads to Levi and a Stohess halfback both diving for the ball.  Levi gets his foot on it first, shooting it out perfectly to Church, who takes off down the field with it.  Levi is quick to get to his feet, but I do notice a slight limp in his gate that lasts for two or three strides.  It's that ankle he hurt towards the end of the regular season.  He's mentioned offhandedly a time or two that it bothers him a little every once in a while, but not enough to really affect him.  Well now it's starting to affect him after all this sliding and tough play, and I find myself worrying about him.  The Scouts can't afford to lose him during this match.  If anyone can get the ball past that goalkeeper, it'll be Levi.  And if this goes into a shootout, which it appears that it very well could if things progress as they have been, then Levi will be needed to take the one of the shots.  I also just really don't want to see him get hurt.

The first half of the match ends with the score zero to zero.  Despite all the attempts on goal, none went in for either team.  And as the teams take the field again for the second half, I feel like this is a pattern that's going to continue.  The whole stadium is tense and loud, cheering for their team to take the lead.  I continue to pace the sidelines, frequently forgetting that I'm supposed to be taking pictures.  Eld, Levi, and Farlan pass the ball between each other using a lot of intricate footwork and moves, but a bad pass leads to a Stohess fullback intercepting it and shooting it up the field to a waiting halfback.  Just as I predicted, this pattern of intercepted passes and failed attempts continues through the second half.  That is until a bad positioning of the Stohess defense and a failed interception by a fullback leaves Farlan racing down the field with the ball completely uncontested.  Levi follows him quickly, but hangs back mostly to keep the fullbacks off of Farlan since a pass to Levi would be offsides.  Farlan gets right up into the goal box, and when the Stohess goalkeeper dives for the ball, Farlan is able to just barely avoid him and send the ball smashing into the back of the net.

The stadium erupts in cheer.  Finally there is a leading team in this match.  Thank god it's the Scouts, because there's only ten minutes left in the match, and if the first eighty minutes of the match were anything to go by, this could be the final score.

After a brief celebration on the field, the ball is set in the middle of the field, and play begins again.  Now the results of this game rely entirely on the Scouts defense and the Stohess offense.  Stohess seems even more determined than they were through the rest of the match, if that's even possible, which means that Siss and Ness have their work cut out for them.  Dietrich, Jarnach, and Berner have even dropped back to give the defense a little more manpower, focusing less on assisting the forwards and focusing entirely on assisting the fullbacks.  The Scouts don't need to score another goal, but they sure as hell need to keep the ball out of their own net.

With only minutes left in the game, things are looking good.  The full and halfbacks are doing an amazing job of protecting the net, and Mike hasn't had to make very many saves.  But the Stohess forwards are pushing hard, and with only a handful of seconds left in the match, a mistake is finally made.

As the Stohess forward races into the left side of the goal box, Ness moves in to steal the ball from him.  When the forward tries to avoid Ness's grab, Ness's foot snags the forwards ankle and he falls to the ground.  The entire stadium seems to hold its breath, waiting to see if a call will be made.  A whistle blows.  Shit.

Dok is pacing the sidelines down by the net, screaming at Ness.  How could he give Stohess a penalty shot _inside the fucking goal box?_   Erwin is rubbing at his temple, his eyes closed.  He's speaking into his headset but I'm not sure what he's saying.  Fuck, this isn't good.  This isn't good at all.  Even though Stohess's kicker is a replacement for their actual striker, a penalty shot from so close to the net is practically a guaranteed goal.

The entire stadium is still holding its breath as the replacement striker takes up position behind the ball as the referee places it.  Half of the fans want this ball to go in the net, sending the game into overtime and giving Stohess the chance to come out victorious.  The other half wants the Scouts to block this shot, leaving the Scouts ahead and ending the game with a Scouts win.

The Scouts players all line up in front of the goal, doing their best to make a wall.  Mike stands at the ready, prepared to use his height to jump for the ball should the striker aim high.  When the whistle blows, the stadium falls silent.

The striker starts forward and everything seems to move in slow motion.  One step, two steps, plants his foot, shoots the ball.  It flies up.  High.  A few Scouts fielders try to jump for it, to knock it forward with their heads.  But it's too high.  The second it left the striker's foot, Mike was moving.  He jumps up, extending his fingertips towards the top corner of the net.  He's going to make it.  He's going to make it.

The ball skims over the tip of Mike's fingers, but he doesn't get enough on the ball to stop it.  It deflects upwards just slightly, but not high enough to go over the crossbar.  It hits the bottom of the bar and ricochets into the back of the net.  Goal Stohess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the last chapter I have prepared. From this point on I will be posting as I finish writing the chapters, which means no more weekly updates probably. Also, in a little over a week, I'll be moving to Japan to do a semester abroad there. This means that my writing time will be greatly limited. So the time between updates could be really long. On top of that my internet access is also going to be limited which could also affect when I update. Sorry to leave you guys on a cliffhanger like this. I'll try to get the next chapter up before I leave, but I can't promise anything.


	31. An Unexpected End to Cup Match!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how much I like this chapter as far as the quality of my writing goes. It just doesn't feel... good to me -_- but the content is good so good enough lol

**Eren**

Whistles blow, ending the last half of the match.  With the score one to one, it'll go into overtime.  Fuck I'm not sure my nerves can take much more of this stress.  I've already started biting my fingernails, a habit I haven't indulged in since I was twelve.  I'm going to have to schedule an appointment with Hanji when we get back to make sure my racing heart hasn't fucked with my condition too much.

Both teams clear the field, huddling around their respective coaches to go over overtime strategies.  Overtime is intense.  One period of overtime is ten minutes long, and there can be no more than two periods.  If at the end of both periods the score is still tied, then there will be a shootout to determine the winner.  But these ten minute overtime periods are going to be played very hard.  The teams only have ten minutes to get ahead, to score the one goal that will put them in the lead.  But the defense also has to work hard to keep the other team out of the net.  It's not sudden death.  The ten minutes will be played in full.  And both teams are going to be trying very hard to make sure they're the ones that come out ahead.

I keep a careful eye on Levi's stride as he joins the huddle, then leaves the huddle to get his water bottle.  I don't see him limping, which is good.  He needs to be at one hundred percent in order to give the Scouts a chance at the win.  When the refs call for the teams to start taking the field, Levi jogs up to me and presses a firm but quick kiss to my lips.

"For good luck," he tells me with a wink before joining the rest of his team on the field.

A stupid grin is stuck on my face as I watch him take up his position.  But it's soon replaced by a nervous frown as the whistles blow to start the first overtime period.  The Scouts start off with the ball and Levi immediately shoots it off to Jinn on his right.  Both teams fly into action.  Despite being exhausted from the first ninety minutes of regulation play, both teams put in twice the normal amount of effort.  All moves are quicker, all passes sharper, all interceptions at full speed.  Players end up on the ground more often than I can keep track of, and most of the time the players try to milk fake injuries for penalties.  But it's really fucking annoying and the refs aren't buying it.  Just get it over with, guys, come on.  I don't know how much more of this stress I can take.

I follow the ball up and down the sidelines as passes and plays are made.  I take tons of photographs, but mostly I just need to move.  With all this adrenaline pumping through my system, there's no way I can stand still.  I need to _move_.  I'm so tense and anxious and I'm not even the one playing.

With just under two minutes left in the first overtime period, Levi is about to make a shot on goal when a Stohess fullback slides in out of nowhere and knocks Levi's planted foot right out from underneath him.  My breath catches as he collapses to the ground, and my gaze shoots to the ref on that end of the field.  He blows his whistle, signaling a foul and I exhale sharply with a nod.  That's right.  That was absolutely a trip.  Good call.

Levi stands with a grimace and paces around in a circle a few times.  His limp is heavy at first, but it fades as he walks it out.  Shit.  Now I'm really worried about him.  But this penalty happened pretty close to the goal box.  Maybe he can make the shot.  If he does, then the match will probably end at the end of this first overtime period and he can get off that foot.

The ref places the ball at the spot of the penalty and nods to Levi.  Levi moves into position as everyone else takes up positions between Levi and the net.  Levi takes a moment to survey the field and I hold my breath as he starts his approach.  My heart is hammering in my chest, and I almost can't hear anything over the boom of my pulse in my ears.

Levi plants his foot next to the ball and I audibly gasp when his leg gives out ever so slightly.  Fuck he really is hurt.  He still manages to get his foot on the ball but it flies high, too high, and sails over the top of the net.  My camera hangs from the strap around my neck as my hands cover my mouth.

The play is called and the players take their positions for the out-of-bounds play.  I can hear Erwin calling to Levi, asking him if he needs to be pulled.  Levi shakes his head once, a frustrated and determined look on his face.  Fuck his stubbornness is going to get him really hurt.  More hurt than he already is.  He really should be pulled, but it doesn't look like Erwin is going to fight him on the matter.

Play continues and Levi continues to put one hundred percent into the match.  I do notice that he's keeping a better eye out for incoming defenders, and puts a lot more effort into avoiding their feet as they try to intercept him.  My only consolation, as I watch him sprint around on an injured ankle, is that at least this is the last match of the season no matter the outcome.  After this he'll have all the down time he needs to heal properly.

The first period comes to an end, the score remaining one to one, and the second period begins.  Both teams continue to put their all into the match, but it doesn't look like either team is going to get anywhere.  And sure enough, after another anxiety filled ten minutes, the whistles blow to end the final period of overtime.  Now it'll go into a shootout and this is where it gets tricky.  Each team gets five shots on goal from a set position.  Five different kickers, alternating shots between teams.  Most of them will go in.  In reality, the first team to block a shot usually ends up winning.  That means Mike just has to get his hands on one of them.  If he can do that, the Scouts will most likely end up with the win.  But the bigger issue right now is that Levi is the team's strongest kicker.  And if he can't get his shot in the net, we're screwed.  We can't afford to just give one away.  Either he needs to know with absolute certainty that he can make an accurate shot or Erwin needs to find someone else to make his shot for him.

Erwin waves Levi in as the refs set up for the shootout.  They stand close and talk quietly, Erwin holding his clipboard up to block their mouths from prying eyes.  But I know what they're talking about.  Erwin is asking Levi if he's okay to take the shot and Levi is assuring him that he is even though he shouldn't be.

The refs call for the coaches to give them their shootout lineup and Erwin jogs forward to give the Scouts lineup before returning to the sideline.  Levi takes the field with Jinn, Church, Bozado, Shultz, and Zacharias, as well as six Stohess players.  Levi and a Stohess player join one of the referees for a coin toss to see who shoots first.  The ref flips the coin, then points to the Stohess player.  Levi nods, seeming satisfied, and calls for Mike to take the net.  Looks like Stohess will be kicking first.  Good.

The Stohess player takes up position as Mike gets ready in the net.  The other players all stand to the side and the whole stadium seems to hold their breath.  The forward begins his approach and shoots.  Mike reacts as soon as possible, but still misses the ball.  He waited too long.  At this distance, he really needs to dive as soon as the player shoots and hope that he goes the right way.  The ball flies into the corner of the net.

Mike stands and the Stohess goalkeeper takes his place in the net.  Shultz steps up first.  I thought that Levi might go first since his shot is going to be really uncertain, but when I see him leaning on Farlan, his injured foot raised, I realize that they're giving him as much time as possible to rest the ankle before he has to go.  That means he'll probably go last.  There will be a lot of pressure on him to make his shot.

Each team takes their turn shooting.  Mike gets lucky and dives in the exact right spot on the second shot, blocking the ball.  The stadium erupts in cheer.  Now the Scouts just have to make the rest of theirs.  And it's looking good until Farlan takes his shot, and the Stohess goalkeeper gets just enough of his fingers on the ball to send it flying just outside of the goal.  I grip my hair tightly in my fists.  Fuck!  The next- and last- Stohess player needs to miss his shot.  When he does, the ball ricocheting off the side goal post, I cheer loudly, along with half the stadium.  Now all Levi needs to do is make this goal and the Cup Match will go to the Scouts.  No pressure babe.

Levi shakes out his foot a little, then jogs forward to take his shot.  He's not limping and doesn't appear to be favoring the foot.  Maybe those couple minutes off it will make enough of a difference.  The ref places the ball.  Levi takes up position, along with the Stohess goalkeeper.  I hold my breath as he sets himself up for the shot.  Two big steps backwards, and one big step to the left.  He takes a deep breath, but I can't breathe.  And then he's moving.

His approach is perfect, and when he plants his bad foot, I could cry with relief when it holds.  And then the ball is soaring through the air.  I can't breathe.  The entire stadium seems to fall completely silent.  The suspense and anticipation can be cut with a knife.  Fuck this isn't good for my hemophilia.  I watch the ball as it seems to move in slow motion.  It cuts through the air, straight past the goalkeeper, and into the upper right corner of the net.  Game over.  The Scouts win the Cup Match.

Mike charges forward to grab Levi in a huge hug.  The other forwards jump on them, and the rest of the Scouts team is running out onto the field.  I manage to snap out of my shock and capture a ton of pictures of the huge celebration taking place in the middle of the field.  The Scouts fans are all on their feet, cheering at the victory of their team.  Announcers on the loudspeakers are making their announcements, but I don't think anyone is listening to them.

After a few minutes of utter chaos and celebration, things seem to settle down a little as the two teams all shake hands, the Stohess members congratulating the Scouts on their victory and the Scouts thanking Stohess for a good game.  In that time, the stadium crew has managed to drag out a podium with a microphone, and the MLS committee members or whoever the fuck those important looking people are, have taken their place behind it, one of them holding a great, big, shiny trophy.

Erwin shakes the hands of the important people behind the podium, and Mike and Levi join Erwin right next to the podium.  The rest of the Scouts team and players all huddle around behind the group of important men, their coach, and their two captains.

I'm not really listening to the important suit man make his speech.  It's a traditional, customary speech, declaring the Trost Scouts the official winners of the whatever-number-it-is Cup Match, and presenting them with the trophy.  Erwin accepts it on behalf of the Trost Scouts.  I take lots of pictures of Erwin accepting it, then passing it to Mike, who then passes it to Levi, each holding it up above their heads before it makes its way to the rest of the team.  A huge smile is plastered to my face and it makes the bruise on my cheek twinge.  But that's the least of my concerns right now.

Everyone starts to clear the field and I lower my camera, keeping my eyes on Levi as he makes his way back to the sideline.  He's limping slightly, but Erwin supports him, allowing Levi to lean against him.  They're almost to the sideline when Erwin stops him.  He turns so that he's blocking Levi from my view.  He leans in to whisper something to Levi, and I'm confused as to what's going on.  But it only lasts a second, then Levi is making his way towards me.

"I'll take that for you while you congratulate your boyfriend."

I look over to see Petra standing there, holding her hand out.  I realize that she means my camera and I hesitantly hand it over to her.  Her knowing smirk is putting me off a little.  But I push those thoughts aside as I hurry forward a few steps towards Levi.

He smiles as I pull him into a hug, but something looks off about him.  He's not his usual cocky, energetic self like he is after a win.  And this is the win of all wins.  He should be ecstatic, not... worried.  Is he in pain?  Is his ankle bothering him?  I open my mouth to ask, but he presses a finger to my lips, stopping me.  Then he takes a step back and lowers to one knee with a slight grimace.

I swear to fucking god my heart stops beating in my chest.  I notice a lot of things all at once.  Like how the entirety of the Scouts team is gathered to the side, watching us.  That Petra is using my camera to take pictures of me and Levi.  And finally, that Levi is clutching something tightly in his fist.  Something that he lifts to show me after he takes a knee.  I suddenly, with complete clarity, know what's happening, and I can't even begin to believe it.  The rest of the world ceases to exist, leaving just me and Levi, as I stare at him with wide eyes.  How is this real?  This can't be.  This must be a dream.  There's no way....

"I know we haven't been together for very long, but I love you Eren Jaeger," he starts, opening the box to reveal a beautiful silver band, wrapped in a line of green gems interwoven with a line of grey gems.  The color of our eyes.  "We don't have to get married now.  We don't have to get married next year, or even in five years.  I just want you to know that I am serious about you.  I love you, and I want you by my side for the rest of my life.  Will you marry me?"

I'm nodding before he even finishes the question.  Of fucking course I want to marry him.  Is this why he looked so nervous?  So worried?  Did he honestly think I'd say no to him?  Have I not made my feelings abundantly clear to him?  Does he even know me at all?

"Yes.  Yes I'll marry you.  Of course I'll marry you," I tell him in a rush.

He stands and I pull him into a crushing hug.  His lips find mine and I can hear whistles and cheering from his team, but it's easily ignored.  All that matters in this entire world right now is Levi.  Only Levi.  My heart is racing now.  I can't believe this is actually happening.  It may be kind of fast considering that only a month ago he was terrified of commitment, but he made this decision all on his own, with no pressuring or suggestions from me, so he must've decided that this was okay, that he could take our relationship to this level.  And I couldn't be happier.

...

After an especially long celebration, the entire team wearily drags themselves off the field.  I pull Levi's arm over my shoulders to support him.  He's limping heavily now and I'm starting to get worried.  When we get to the locker room, the team's athletic trainer looks over Levi as the team holds their meeting.

"I couldn't be more proud of you," Erwin tells the team seated on the floor all around him.  "Every single one of you left your hearts out there on the field, and without that effort, we couldn't have pulled off this win.  Mike, your talent in that net was extraordinary, truly phenomenal, and you saved all our asses.  Luke, Dita, without you covering Mike, he would've been screwed against those strikers.  Moblit, Mitabi, Ian, fantastic job assisting Luke and Dita in the back.  You three added a great deal of strength to our defense.  Farlan, Eld, Gunther, and Oluo... you guys did an amazing job of giving that goalkeeper a run for his money.  You kept him on his toes, and Farlan was even able to get one past him.  And Levi.  I should've pulled your ass out of that match at the first sign of an injury.  But I'm glad your stubborn ass wouldn't let me.  Without you, we might not have won that shootout.

"All around excellent performance by every single one of you tonight.  You all make me proud to be coaching this team.  And you all make the stress of running a professional soccer team worth it.  You're not just great players, you're great guys."

Erwin ends his speech and the room fills with applause.  I join in because every word he said was true and this group of guys definitely earned it.

"Monday night, drinks are on me at my bar," Pixis speaks up and the cheering gets louder.  The guys all joke around and laugh, still in celebration mode, as they all stand to get ready to leave.  But Erwin calls for their attention and everyone quiets down.

"There's one more thing I want to say.  I want to congratulate Levi and Eren.  Levi, I'm so happy you found Eren because before you met the kid, you were a real asshole."  The team laughs and Levi rolls his eyes, but he can't keep the smirk off his face.  "And Eren, congratulations on taming him and turning him into a decent human being.  You two are good for each other and I wish you two a happy rest of your lives together."

Another round of applause and shouts of "here, here!" echo through the locker room, and I can feel that my face is on fire.

"Fuck, Erwin, we aren't married yet," Levi snorts.  "Save it for the wedding."

Everyone laughs and Erwin lets out an exasperated sigh.  Maybe I haven't completely tamed Levi yet.  But I see Levi mouth 'thank you' to Erwin as he takes my hand.  I lean in to press a kiss to his lips to the sound of cat-calls.

I twist the ring around my finger as I sit and wait with Levi.  The athletic trainer is wrapping his ankle tightly with a bandage, a cold pad pressed to the skin around his ankle beneath the bandage.  I listen carefully as the athletic trainer tells Levi what's wrong.  He believes that the old injury has just been aggravated, and that some rest and icepacks will fix the problem in no time.  He shouldn't be out of commission for longer than a week tops.

Once the athletic trainer is finished taking care of Levi's ankle and the celebration in the locker room dies down, everyone starts to filter out into town to continue their celebration elsewhere.  A few head back to their hotel rooms, including me and Levi.  We have our own celebrating to do.  I bear a lot of Levi's weight all the way back to the hotel, and once we're in the room, he sits heavily on the end of the bed.  I move to straddle him and push him back on the sheets, but he stops me.

"I didn't get the chance to shower in the locker room," he tells me.

I stand up with a sigh.  I probably would've protested if I didn't agree that he definitely needed a shower.  "Do you need help?" I ask him as he gets to his feet.

"I've been showering on my own for twenty-eight years.  I think I can manage," he retorts, limping over to the bathroom.

"You know what I meant," I exhale.

He turns back to shoot me a witty smile.  "Yes I did, but my answer remains the same.  I'll be done in a few minutes."

"I'll re-wrap your ankle for you when you get out," I tell him.  I may not be as skilled as the athletic trainer was, but I am a doctor's son, and I'll be damned if I don't have at least basic first aid skills.

Speaking of my father....  I should probably call my parents, and also Mikasa, and tell them about the engagement before they find out about it on the news.  Because I'd bet my left testicle that Levi's proposal will be all over the news very soon, if it's not already.  And I'd really like my family to find out from me, not the media, that I'm engaged.  The word has me grinning like an idiot as I pick up my phone to call Mikasa.

It only rings once before Mikasa answers.  _"IT'S ABOUT FUCKING TIME!"_ she shouts at me and I have to pull the phone back from my ear to keep from blowing my eardrum out.

"You watched the match, didn't you?" I question her.  I'm still grinning despite almost going deaf and having the media beat me to the punch of breaking the news.

 _"Of course I watched the fucking match!"_ she scoffs as if it were the most stupid question in the entire world.  At least she's not screaming at me anymore.  _"He may be a vertically challenged asshole, but he's_ your _vertically challenged asshole so there was no way I'd miss him playing in the Cup Match.  Hold on I'm conferencing in the parental units.  Also you're on speaker.  Armin is with me."_

I hear a dial tone in the background.  "I take it mom and dad watched the match too?"

 _"We wouldn't have missed it for the world, sweetie!"_ my mom's voice suddenly chimes in.  _"We've been waiting for your call."_

 _"Yes, Eren, we've been waiting,"_ Mikasa snaps.  _"It's been exactly... forty-eight minutes since the pipsqueak proposed.  What took you so long?"_   I can hear Armin giggle in the background and I roll my eyes.

 _"Shh Mikasa don't call him that.  He's Eren's fiancée now,"_ my mom coos.  There's another word that makes me grin like an idiot and my heart flutter.  _"Congratulations sweetheart, your dad and I are both so happy for you."_

"Thanks mom," I blush.

 _"Even though I don't sound like it, I am too,"_ Mikasa says.  _"Congratulations brother."_

 _"Yes congratulations!"_ Armin says.

"Thanks guys," I murmur in response, looking down at the ring on my finger.  It still feels so surreal to me.  I'm expecting to wake up and discover it was all a dream any minute now.

 _"We also saw that Levi got injured,"_ my dad says.  _"How is he?"_

Speak of the devil, the door to the bathroom opens and Levi limps out, wearing only a towel draped over his shoulders.  I lose my train of thought for a moment as he limps over to the bed and sits next to me, tossing me the bandages and cold pack and lifting his injured foot into my lap.  I put the phone on speaker and set it on the bed next to my leg as I set to work wrapping Levi's ankle.  "The athletic trainer says he just aggravated an old sprain.  He should be fully recovered in a week or so."

 _'Your_ _parents?'_  Levi mouths, pointing at my phone.  I nod.

 _"That's good to hear_ ," my dad says.  _"Hey listen....  I want you and Levi to come to Shiganshina to have dinner with us.  Mikasa, I'd like you and Armin to come as well.  I've only ever really spoken with Levi in the hospital after your attack, and I'd like to get to know him better, now that he wants to marry my son.  If that's not too much of an inconvenience for either of you.  I know it's a long drive.  You're all welcome to make a weekend out of it."_

I actually really like the idea.  My dad is right in that my parents haven't really met Levi yet.  I bet the last thing they were worried about while I was in the hospital was getting to know each other.  And now that Levi and I have taken this step, I think it's a really good idea for them to all get together.

"Levi's right here.  I have you on speaker phone.  I think it's a great idea," I reply.

"I would be honored to have dinner with you, Dr. Jaeger," Levi replies.  He looks a little overwhelmed, and I'm sure it's due to the reminder of the sudden direction our relationship has gone in.  Even though it was his idea, it was still a huge step for him.

_"Wonderful.  And please, just call me Grisha.  I know you kids are still in school, and I'm not sure what your schedule is Levi, now that the season is over, so I'll let you four decide when you'd like to come down."_

"My schedule is clear for the next few weeks," Levi replies.

"I have a lot of art shows coming up but I'm free next weekend," I say.

 _"Next weekend works for me,"_ Mikasa says.

 _"That should be fine.  I'll have to request it off at the hospital but they should give it to me,"_ Armin muses.

 _"Very well, next weekend it is,"_ my dad says.  _"Congratulations you two."_

"Thanks dad."

Everyone hangs up after a few more congratulations and goodbyes.  With that taken care of, and Levi's ankle wrapped securely, I finally allow myself to take advantage of the fact that my fiancée is sitting right in front of me, buck ass naked, hair still damp and water still clinging to his pale skin.  This time, he doesn't stop me as I push him back onto the bed and have my way with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys guys check it out I got some [fanart](http://doodlytwip.tumblr.com/post/127648242475/) of Levi in his soccer uniform! :D
> 
> So when I first sat down to write this fic, I had planned to end it with the Scouts winning the Cup Match and Levi proposing to Eren. It actually would've been a good place to end it and if you read my other fic Steered Straight, you know how much I love ending my fics with proposals. But I did throw in some other plot points throughout the fic- the World Cup and the future court date of Eren's case to name a couple- that have yet to be written out to completion. So the fic will go on. And I just really want to write about cute married husbands okay??
> 
> TL;DR this isn't the end of the fic :3


	32. Couple Has Problems With the Press!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm soooo sorry this took so long orz. If you follow me on tumblr then you probably saw occasional updates. But for those of you who don't and didn't know what was happening, I'm sorry I was gone for so long. Life is getting really busy here in Japan and I'm having a hard time finding the energy to write. That being said, this chapter is kind of short and it's not a great chapter, I don't think. It's kinda all over the place. But I'm really just trying to get the story from the last plot point (the Cup Match) to the next plot point. So lots of jumps and skips and (as much as I hate it) summary-ish writing. Sorry about that. But I hope you enjoy it anyway and hopefully (fingers crossed) I won't take so long to get the next chapter posted.

**Eren**

Levi wakes me up early the next morning with his cold, slicked fingers working their way between my legs.  I'm still really sore from last night, but there's no way I'm about to protest.  I hitch a leg over his hip to give him better access and open my heavy eyelids to see him smirk at me.  He presses kisses all over my neck and face as his fingers work me open.  I'm now wide awake as he presses into me.  He rolls us so that he's on top of me and lifts my legs over his shoulders.  He thrusts into me hard and fast, the headboard thumping against the walls.  But if that noise doesn't wake the neighbors, my cries and shouts definitely will.

It doesn't take long before I'm coming untouched across my stomach.  Levi suckles on my collar bones and neck, muffling his own moans as he comes soon after me.  Once we're both cleaned up, I rewrap Levi's ankle as the bandages had come a little loose overnight, then we're up and getting ready to leave.  I have to assist Levi more than he would like to admit, and I can tell that it's bothering him, but he sucks it up and lets me help him.  He may be stubborn but he's not stupid, and he knows that if he wants his ankle to heal quickly, then he's going to need my help.

Once we're packed and checked out, we hail a cab and climb in.  The cabbie keeps looking back at us in his rear view mirror and I find it kind of creepy.  I know it's probably because he recognizes Levi, but still.  Levi either doesn't notice or doesn't care as he leans over to feather kisses along my neck and jaw.  We end up sharing light, lazy kisses all the way to the airport, which probably makes our peeping Tom really uncomfortable, but serves him right for being a creep.

I end up falling asleep on the plane- Levi kept me up very late last night, and woke me up early this morning, but hey I'm not complaining- and am elbowed awake at the end of the flight by Levi.  A lot of people stare at us, both on the plane and walking through the airport, and many even come up to Levi to talk to him about the Cup Match.  I, gratefully, am ignored for the most part.  It seems like people are more interested in the Scouts' winning the MLS championship than they are about Levi proposing to me.  That actually relieves me greatly.  Because with all the fuss in the media about Levi's revealed sexuality, I had been afraid that a live broadcasted proposal would set people off even more.  So the fact that no one seems to give two fucks about it pleases me.  I still end up in a lot of photographs though, considering Levi refuses to release my hand even as the press and public try to swarm him.

Levi had played nice at first as we tried to make our way out of the airport and to where Levi said that Isabel was waiting to pick us up.  He offered forced smiles and short answer responses to people who tried to talk to him, and politely refused when press tried to ask him questions.  But I could see him getting quickly frustrated, and soon he starts to ignore everybody, pushing past them without even a glance in their direction.  He hobbles on, towing me along beside him.  I try not to laugh at the flustered looks the press give him.  How are they surprised?  Seventy-five percent of every article, magazine story, blurb, etc. uses words such as 'unapproachable', 'unsocial', 'cold', and 'intimidating' to describe him.

Once we finally make it out of the building, the press leaves us alone, opting instead to hang out in the airport and wait for the other members of the Trost Scouts to arrive.  They'll have a lot more luck with people like Erwin and Farlan and Mike anyway.

Isabel pulls up to the curb just as we reach it, thankfully.  There's nowhere to sit and I didn't want Levi to stand on his bad ankle for too long anyway.  As soon as her car is parked, she's bounding out of the vehicle and pulling the both of us into a crushing hug.  I chuckle as I release Levi's hand to hug her back.

"Uhm, I missed you too?" I tease.

She pulls back from us and shoots me a look.  "Don't play dumb with me," she practically hisses at me.  But then she turns on Levi and smacks him on the shoulder with the back of her hand.  "And you!  Why didn't you tell me you were going to propose?!  I can't _believe_ you would hide something like that from me!  Farlan said that he knew you were going to do that?  How come he got to know and not me?!"

"Sorry, Izzy," Levi says with a shrug.  "It all happened kind of fast, and really no one was supposed to know until after it happened, but Erwin found out, and I think he told everybody."

"I'm never going to forgive you," she huffs, but then turns back to me.  "Let me see it let me see it!"

I'm grinning widely, lifting my left hand for her to look at the ring.  She squeals as she turns my hand this way and that, bringing it right up to her face.

"I can't believe it," she sighs.  "My big bro is all grown up and getting married."

"Don't get all sentimental on me, Isabel," Levi says with a roll of his eyes.  "Now if you don't mind, I'd really like to get off my foot now."

Oh shit that's right.  I had almost forgotten.  I take Levi's and my bags and put them in the trunk after Isabel opens it.  Levi opens the back door and I start to follow him, but Isabel stops us.

"No way.  I'm not your taxi driver.  You're not going to leave me all alone up front.  Someone has to join me," she says.  Levi exhales sharply and reaches for the handle of the passenger's side door, but Isabel slaps his hand away.  "Not you.  I'm still mad at you.  Come on Eren."

I give Levi a shrug and press a kiss to his lips before climbing into the front seat.  We were only gone for the weekend but I have to admit that I really missed Isabel.

...

Isabel drops me off at my apartment, Levi having decided that I should spend tonight with my sister and friends.  He promised that tomorrow after classes will be all about us.  We'll go out on a date, just the two of us, to celebrate our engagement.  I get excited when I hear that.  This will be our first real date.  It's a little weird that it's not happening until after we got engaged, but oh well.  We're not exactly the most traditional couple anyway.

With a kiss to Levi's lips and a wave to Isabel, I grab my bag out of the trunk and head up to my apartment.  Mikasa and Armin leap off the couch- I'm pretty sure they were making out and I will absolutely be interrogating them about that later- and practically tackle me to the ground the second I'm in the door.

"Let me see it!" Mikasa demands, holding out her hand expectantly.  She snatches it up and looks over the ring.  Armin looks over her shoulder, a wide smile pulling at his lips.  It's contagious and I find myself smiling as well.  "Wow he really did well with this ring.  Kudos to him for knowing how to design a ring good enough for my brother.  Where is the short stack anyway?"

"I told him not to come up," I answer, reclaiming my hand from her grasp.  "He's hurt remember?"

Mikasa nods at the reminder.  She and Armin lead me to the couch and we all take a seat.  The three of us spend the rest of the day and night talking excitedly about the match, the engagement, and I even manage to get some answers out of the two of them about their relationship.  I can't believe these two have been sneaking around since my attack without telling me.  I really should strangle the both of them.  But I'm too happy for them to do that.

The next night, I let the two losers know that they'll have the apartment all to themselves tonight, as I have absolutely no intention of coming home.  When Levi texts me saying that he's in the parking lot, I give them a quick wave and am downstairs in a flash.  Levi presses a kiss to my lips before he heads off into town.

"How are you feeling?" I ask him.

"I'm fine.  Don't worry about me."

I nod even though I don't believe him.  I know that arguing won't get him to stop playing off his injury.  And I don't want to start off this night with a fight.  "I thought Pixis was having a party at Bar Rose tonight.  Why aren't you going?"

"First of all, I'm on pain meds so I really shouldn't be drinking," he answers.  "But also, they're going to be dancing and getting wasted and making fools of themselves, and I won't be able to keep up.  Besides I think I'll have a much better time alone with you this afternoon."

I smile and turn my attention out the window.  I feel a little guilty that he's not spending this night with his team celebrating them winning the Cup Match, but at the same time I'm glad he decided not to go.  He's right that he shouldn't be drinking, so I think it's a good idea for him not to be surrounded by the temptation.

Levi pulls up to a small restaurant in the nice area of town.  A valet is waiting to take his car and I watch with wide eyes as Levi hands over his keys and takes my hand, leading me towards the door where a hostess is waiting to greet us, dressed in a elegant navy blue dress.  Fuck I'm so underdressed.  Levi didn't tell me he was taking me to a place like this.

Levi gives her the name of the reservation and she nods, picking up two menus.  She must've noted Levi's limp when we entered the restaurant, because she walks slowly to accommodate him, for which I am grateful.  We follow her to a lowly lit back area full of booths.  Despite the number of tables, when we slide into ours, it feels like we're all alone, just the two of us.  I really like it.  When the hostess leaves, Levi reaches across the table to take my hand.  His thumb runs along the gems on the ring.

"It's still hard to believe," he murmurs, his eyes fixed on my hand.  "I never thought that I'd ever get here.  I never imagined that I'd find someone I liked well enough to start a relationship with, let alone propose to."

His words make my heart flutter, but my mind races, trying to figure out the meaning behind those words.

"I'm sorry if this is too personal, but is there a reason you never wanted to be in a relationship?  When we first got together, you were pretty adamant about your 'I don't do relationships' spiel.  Why is that?"

"We're getting married Eren, nothing is too personal," he tells me in a teasing tone.  I roll my eyes at him, but hold back my retort when I see that his eyes are trained back on my hand in his and that a frown is starting to pull at his lips.  "I've never told you about my parents, did I?"

I realize with a start that he hasn't told me about his parents.  I know absolutely nothing about them.  I wonder how that could be, after we've been together so long.  And that's when I realize that I don't know much about him at all.  At least not where his past is concerned.  I know he went to college with Isabel, and high school with Petra.  But that's pretty much it.

"I never knew my father and my mother died when I was young," he says, his voice quite.  "My uncle took me in when he found out that I was all alone, but he was not a good man.  I was too young to realize what it was he was doing, what he was making me do.  But it wasn't long before he abandoned me too, after he had gotten all the use out of me he could.  After that I went from foster home to foster home.  Nobody wanted me.  Everybody left me.  After I aged out of the system I was all on my own.  Petra's parents took me in so that I could focus on finishing high school instead of on having to survive.  That's what ended up saving my life.  I played on my school's soccer team, and my last year, our team made it to the Regional Finals.  College scouters from all over the country were there, watching.  And I guess they liked me because I got dozens of full ride offers.  Before that, I hadn't even thought about college.  There was no way I would've been able to afford it even if I had wanted to go.  But suddenly that didn't matter.  I had all the top schools to choose from, and I suddenly had a career option.  If I could be a good enough player in college, then the MLS would want me too, and I could make a living off of that.  Obviously it worked, or else I wouldn't be here right now."

I stare at him wide eyed, trying to absorb everything he just told me.  I wasn't expecting him to open up like that.  And as everything starts to sink in, I have the strongest urge to leap over the table and pull him into a tight hug.  It all makes sense now.  Why he had always been so afraid of commitment.  He's never had it in his life before.  And everyone that was supposed to be a committed part of his life left him.

"I won't leave you, Levi," I promise him.  "I'm here to stay."

He looks up then, meeting my eyes with a small smile.  "That's all I want more than anything.  When that shit with the article happened, and you walked out of my life- for what I thought was for good- I realized then how much you really meant to me, despite how much I had been denying it.  Because I've had many people walk out of my life and when you did, it was the first time I had ever felt anything afterwards.  It hurt in a way that I've never felt before.  I knew immediately that I had made a mistake, because that much hurt had to have meant something.  And now that I have you back I never want to feel like that again."

"I'll do everything within my power to make sure you don't."

The waiter appears then to take our orders, and all conversation on that particular topic ceases.  Levi and I talk about much lighter things, like the match and our friends and upcoming art shows and my classes this semester.  We laugh and smile a lot and I have to say that despite the dark talk at the beginning of the night, it turns out to be the best date I've ever been on.  The mind blowing sex when we get back to his apartment after is just an added bonus.

...

School proves to be the most obnoxious part of my day as all my friends hound me with constant questions and congratulate me.  Even people I don't know, people that could've been the ones bullying me for all I know, give me congratulations and random high fives and pats on the shoulders.  So now that Levi has proposed, now that the world knows he's serious about our relationship, that this isn't some stupid fling, it's okay?  God why does everything have to be so complicated?

The press also like to hang out around the campus and try to catch me going to and from school.  I do my best to ignore them and their constant questions, but it's hard.  I don't know how Levi and other people in the spotlight handle this all the time.  It's only been a week but it's already driving me crazy.  It is easier now that I don't work at Trost Daily anymore.  I no longer have to surround myself with reporters and the press.  At least, not in a work based environment.  I catch Jean on more than one occasion taking notes under the table as I talk to everyone about me and Levi.  The article titled _'Trost Daily's Very Own Eren Jaeger Engaged to Star Scout Levi Ackerman'_ that releases in the middle of the week ticks me off.  I don't even work for them anymore but they're still attempting to cash in on my relationship with Levi.  It's a good thing it's not Jean's name printed under the title or else I'd beat the shit out of him.

The art show Thursday night is probably the worst.  Because when Levi shows up with Erwin and Pixis, all hell seems to break loose.  It doesn't take more than ten minutes for the press to arrive.  They hound us with question after question.  Some are directed to Erwin and Pixis about the Cup Match, but most are focused on Levi and my engagement.  We try to ignore them, but unfortunately the event hasn't started yet so the doors are still closed.  There's nowhere to escape.  Luckily tonight's show requires preordered tickets to enter, so when the doors do open, we all hurry inside while the press are held back.  I'm not looking forward to wading through the sea of sharks though when the event ends.  Hopefully they'll be gone by then.

Hanji steps in front of me, blocking my view of the vultures waiting outside the glass doors.  She reaches up to straighten my bowtie and tuxedo jacket.  Levi bought me the tux.  Apparently now that I'm getting into some very prestigious art shows at some high profile art galleries, my slacks and button down aren't good enough.  I don't know when that became a law, but I guess it did because now I'm wearing this hideously uncomfortable monkey suit and I can't wait to get out of it, even though the show has only just started.  Levi looks very nice in his though, as does Erwin and Armin.  Hanji looks beautiful as ever in her floor length deep blue dress and I feel like I should kick the ass of every old man that stares after Mikasa in her stunning black dress.

"Don't worry about the press, hun," Hanji tells me.  "If they bother you, I'll beat the shit out of them."  The innocent smile accompanying her words sends a chill down my spine.  I don't doubt her promise at all.

"Just focus on the show," Levi agrees.  "Tonight, you're the star and I'm the one on the side lines."

I offer them both a smile, their words helping a little bit.  Just as Hanji advised, I put the press out of my mind.  Levi doesn't seem to give two shits about them, so why should they worry me?  Even so, I find myself tugging my collar up a little to try and hide the new bruise blossoming across the left side of my neck.  If people are going to be taking my picture, I'd rather it not be visible.

...

As soon as my last class lets out the following afternoon, I head home to pack a bag for the weekend.  Mikasa is already there, her bag already packed and waiting by the door, considering that her last class got out an hour before mine did.  Now we just have to wait for Armin to finish his shift at the hospital.  He already packed his bag last night, knowing that he'd be the last one to finish up his day.

Mikasa and I sprawl out across the couch- Mikasa seated between my legs resting the back of her head against my chest- and turn on the sports channel out of habit, even though there isn't a soccer match on.  Instead it's baseball, and Mikasa and I resign ourselves to watching that to pass the time.  When a knock sounds on the front door, neither Mikasa or I budge, both of us knowing that it's Levi.  "It's open!" we both call out at the same time.

The door opens and Levi enters, a slight limp to his gate.  His ankle has actually healed quite well since last weekend and he's able to get around without much pain at all.  Or so he tells me.  There's really no knowing with him.  He likes to hide that stuff from me as much as it infuriates me.

Levi presses a quick kiss to my lips when I look up from the television, then takes a seat on the other couch.  "Are all you brats ready to go?" he asks, making himself comfortable.

"We are, but Armin is still at the hospital," I tell him.  "He should be back soon though.  His shift was supposed to end an hour ago."

Levi nods and shifts his attention to the television, but it's fleeting.  He scans my two nearly finished canvases in the corner.  His eyes linger on the white and black birds fluttering through the treetops, the sun reflecting off their wings in small patches that make it through the thick foliage.  Then they move to the completed ones hanging on the walls, one of which with a few first place ribbon hanging off the corner of the bloody aftermath of a great battle.  It's an older painting from a couple months ago, but I keep entering it into shows because it seems to be a really big hit.  I've had dozens of people offer a lot of money to buy it, but I just can't part with it.  He studies all of the paintings before moving back to the television, then to his phone, then to his lap.  He can't focus on anything.  He's nervous.  I find that adorable and worrisome at the same time.  Levi isn't easily flustered.

It's not a minute later that the door bangs open and a flushed Armin hurries inside, breathing heavily.

"I'm sorry guys!" he says in a rush.  "They had me observe a surgery and it took longer than it was supposed to.  Are you guys ready to hit the road?"

Mikasa and I stand, as well as Levi.  He's composed himself, but I can tell he's still a little nervous.  He offers me a nod as Mikasa and Armin grab their bags and I smile back.

"Yup, we're ready.  Let's get this show on the road."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out this [fanart](http://cathaha123.tumblr.com/post/129602778368/) guys!!
> 
> And a special thanks to [fourletterwordsstartingwithl](http://fourletterwordsstartingwithl.tumblr.com/) over on tumblr for helping me get through this chapter when I got stuck. You are the best :3


	33. Star Athlete Extended Incredible Offer!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a lot of you were confused at the end of the last chapter, wondering why Levi was so nervous. That's mostly my fault because I took so long to update, but at the end of the chapter before, it had been decided that Levi would go to Eren's house for dinner to officially meet his parents. So that's why he's nervous. Sorry for the confusion!
> 
> And I am also sorry for another long wait. And also for this being kind of a short chapter. You guys deserve more content considering how long I made you wait, but unfortunately I don't really have any control over how long the chapters are. I write the content that needs to be included in the chapter and I hope that it turns out a decent length. So please forgive me for that. I hope you enjoy the chapter nonetheless.

**Levi**

The drive to Eren's house is a long one, but despite the couple hours of driving, my nerves don't calm.  Tonight I'll be officially meeting Eren's parents.  The first time we met wasn't exactly under ideal circumstances.  We were all focused entirely on Eren's recovery, and at the time of the incident, Eren and I had merely previously been fuck buddies.  Sure, things worked out in the end, and by the time Eren's parents had left, Eren and I had patched things up.  But during that stressful and painfully long weekend, there had never been a proper time for introductions.  Now, they'll be meeting me as their son's fiancée.  And being someone who has never had a 'meet the parents' experience, I'm terrified.  Eren serves as a good distraction for most of the ride however, rambling on in the way he always does about his week and about an art show coming up next weekend.  I focus on his animated conversation with Armin rather than on my nerves, and it helps just enough to get me to his house without a mental breakdown.

When I pull into the driveway of a very nice, upscale house, the nerves come right back.  Eren takes my hand as we walk up the driveway, Mikasa and Armin leading the way.  I try to regain control over my racing heart and mind, not understanding how I can face opponents in a win all or go home match with a completely level head, yet meeting Eren's parents- whom I've technically already met once before- causes my nerves to go crazy.  But I guess, when has anything having to do with Eren ever caused me normal reactions?  He has a way of making me feel things I've never felt before.  And I suppose that is what has brought me here to this point in the first place.

Mikasa pulls out her keys and opens the front door, entering the house with a call of "We're here!"

A petite woman with a loose ponytail pulled over her shoulder the same exact color as Eren's hair rounds the corner, wearing a water-splotched apron and holding a bowl she's in the middle of drying.  I've seen her before, but that was when she was worrying over the condition of her son, and honestly I hadn't been paying much attention to her.  She is very pretty, and I immediately see where Eren gets his looks from.  Also his eyes.  His mother has beautiful green eyes.  Eren's are a deeper, brighter green, and I feel they shine so much more than his mother's, but hey, it's not like I'm biased or anything.

"You're early!" she chirps, gesturing for us to come in as she disappears back around the corner.  "Come in, come in!  Dinner isn't quite ready yet, but it won't be much longer.  How was the drive?"

I follow the other three in removing my shoes at the front door.  A quick look around the front room reveals how immaculately clean it is and I feel my nerves settle ever so slightly.  I think I will get along just fine with Eren's mother.

Eren is quick to bound around the corner into the kitchen and envelope his mother in a tight hug.  She presses a kiss to his cheek as she returns the hug.  When Eren releases her, she gives both Mikasa and Armin a hug as well.

"The drive was so long and boring," Eren complains.  "But Levi drives fast so it wasn't as bad as it could've been."

I internally wince.  _Good going, brat.  I'm trying to make a good first impression here._   "I wasn't driving _that_ fast."

Eren's mother looks up at me with a kind smile.  "I'm sure your driving was just fine.  Eren has a tendency to over-exaggerate."  She ignores Eren's snort of derision to extend a hand to me.  "I know we've met before, but I'm Carla."

I take a quick step forward to meet her handshake, trying to hide my limp.  "Levi."

"It's wonderful to officially meet you, Levi," she smiles again, and I'm starting to understand where Eren gets his radiant smile from.  "Now please, take a seat.  You should get off that ankle and let it rest.  Has it been healing okay?"

"Thank you, but I'm fine, Mrs. Jaeger.  It's been healing very well, according to the team's athletic trainer."

"Ah that's good to hear.  And please, call me Carla."

"Is Dad home?" Eren asks, peaking under a tinfoil covered pan.

"No, he was called into the hospital for an emergency surgery.  He should be home soon though," Carla tells Eren, slapping his hand away.  "Now, are you going to show me or are you going to keep me waiting?"

I'm confused for a moment until Eren smiles brightly and lifts his hand to show his mother the ring.  Carla takes his hand to get a closer look at the ring and a smile that matches her son's pulls at her lips.  "Oh my....  Levi, it's beautiful," she breathes.

"Isn't it?" Eren gushes.  "He had it custom made."

"What's custom made?" a voice says from the doorway, causing everyone in the room to turn and look.

I hadn't even heard the front door open, but Eren's father walks into the room, shrugging out of a thick coat flecked with melting snow.  It must've started snowing since we arrived.  Or perhaps I was just too nervous to notice that it had been snowing.  He walks over to his wife and places a kiss on her cheek, then pulls Eren into a one armed hug.

"Eren's ring, dear," Carla answers the question.  "Levi had it custom made for Eren, and it's absolutely beautiful."

"Let me see."

Eren offers his hand to his father and he takes it, turning it this way and that to get a better look at the ring.  I find I'm actually slightly nervous over his reaction, which surprises me.  I've already seemed to gain approval of Eren's mother, so I suppose my nervousness stems from the fact that now I need to impress his father.

"It is very nice.  I suppose it's worthy enough for my son," his father shrugs.

At first I'm concerned by the reaction, but when a smile starts to crack across lips, and Eren smacks him in the shoulder with a grumbled "Dad..." I realize that he had been teasing.  Eren has a smile of his own and rolls his eyes before he steps up beside me and his hand takes mine.  "Dad, this is Levi.  Levi, this is my dad, Grisha."

"It's nice to be meeting under much... healthier circumstances," Grisha says with a smile, extending his hand.

"Agreed," I say as a shake his hand, glancing over at Eren.

"You know, it wasn't a very fun time for me either," Eren pouts.

"Don't be so over-dramatic," Grisha snorts, and the entire room erupts in laughter at the stunned look on Eren's face.  A playful bicker continues between Eren and his father before Carla finally comes to the rescue by announcing that dinner is ready.

Dinner is a very up-beat affair, and the light hearted atmosphere does a lot to relax my nerves.  My only previous interactions with Eren's parents were under very different circumstances.  They were both stressed and worried over their son's situation.  But here, where Eren is safe and healthy- well, as healthy as he ever is- I discover that his parents are actually very laid back.  Carla is so friendly and kind, always smiling just like her son.  She's very motherly, and I find that I really like her.  It's easy to see a lot of similarities between her and Eren.  Grisha has an intense and serious air about him, but he's actually pretty easy to talk to.  He likes to joke, surprisingly enough.  I remember that Eren said he had a lot of issues with his father when he first declared his art major at Trost University, and that there was a lot of tension between the two of them.  But I assume that the tension has faded now.  I've seen his father at a few art shows, and he seemed impressed with his son at the time, so perhaps he's warmed up to Eren's choice of majors.

Plates are being passed around as everyone serves themselves, and Eren is laughing at a funny story Grisha is telling about his shift in the ER when we hear the clatter of silverware onto a plate followed by a muttered "Fuck ow".  Everyone quickly looks up to see Eren holding his finger, the knife used to cut the ham dropped on his plate.

I'm on my feet quickly, but Grisha waves for me to sit back down as he stands with a sighed, "I got it.  God dammit Eren."

I slowly sit back down as Grisha grabs Eren's sleeve and hauls him out of his seat and over to the kitchen sink.  I know that Eren is in very capable hands but I can't help the slight worry that prickles in the back of my mind, despite knowing that Grisha is a doctor and has cared for Eren most of Eren's life.

"You'd think by this age he'd have learned to be at least a little bit careful," Mikasa retorts, taking a bite of her dinner.

"Yeah, you'd think," Grisha exhales.

"I didn't mean to.  My hand slipped," Eren pouts, then winces.  "Ouch!  Don't press so tight."

"How about you try not cutting yourself?" Grisha retorts.

Conversation continues at the table as if nothing had happened, and Carla finishes serving Eren his ham.  I keep glancing back at the sink where Grisha is applying pressure to the cut on Eren's finger.  A lot of pressure, judging by Eren's whines.  It doesn't take too long for the bleeding to subside and for Grisha to put a tight bandage on Eren's finger.  The two return to the table and dinner resumes.  But as the evening progresses, I keep an eye on Eren to make sure he doesn't put himself into any more potentially hazardous situations with knives.

As the dinner is winding down and we've shifted to the post-dinner conversation, my phone starts to ring in my pocket.

"Shit, I'm sorry," I say as I quickly pull it out.  I see Isabel's name across the screen and hang up on her.  But before I can turn my phone to silent, she calls again.  The shrill ring cuts through the air and with a sign, I stand from the table.  "Please excuse me, I need to get this."

"No problem dear," Carla smiles.

At the other end of the kitchen, there is a sliding glass door that appears to lead out to a patio, so I open it and slip out.  I make sure the door is closed behind me before I answer.

"This better be important," I say in lieu of a greeting.

"Of course it's important," she replies.  "You'll never believe who just called me."

"I don't have time for guessing games, Izzy.  Just get to the point and make it quick please."

"Don't worry, you'll be back to your important impress-the-future-in-laws dinner soon, Mr. Grumpy Pants.  I just got a call from the head coach of the USA World Cup team.  He was very pleased with your performance at the exhibition match, and also during the Cup Match.  He wants you on the team this summer for the World Cup."

I'm not quite sure how to respond for a moment.  I'm not even sure if this is a good thing or not.  I was expecting to have some time off for a month or two, then to get back into training for next season with the Scouts, considering Zackly hasn't fired me yet.  But now this changes things.  If I agree to play with Team USA at the World Cup, training will begin very soon and I'll have to leave to go practice with the team.  I was planning on having this time with Eren, no distractions.  We may have taken this big step forward in our relationship, but we both have a lot to work on.  Well... _I_ have a lot to work on.  This is my first committed relationship and I'm still trying to figure out how to be in one without royally fucking it up.  I've already had enough close calls.  But if I have to uproot my life and move somewhere else to train for the next however many months, how will Eren feel about that?

"Hello?  Earth to Levi?  You were the one complaining that you wanted me to make it quick."

"Sorry," I reply.  "When do they need an answer by?"

"You have a couple of weeks.  You don't need to decide right now.  You have a significant other now.  A _very_ significant other.  You should probably discuss this with him before you make any decisions anyway," she tells me.

"I know, I know."

"I'll let you get back to your dinner.  Sorry for the interruption.  I thought you would be more excited about this, but I guess I should know you better than that by now," she giggles.

"When have I ever been excited about calls from Team USA?" I joke.

"Yeah, I know.  Promise me you'll think about it though?  This is an amazing opportunity.  And don't forget to talk to your other half about it first."

"Trust me, I won't.  I think he'd kill me if he found out I kept something like this from him."

She laughs.  "No doubt.  Goodnight Levi."

"Night Izzy."

I hang up and pocket my phone, but I remain out on the patio for a minute longer, leaning on the railing overlooking the expansive backyard.  She's right when she says that this is a big opportunity.  But at the same time, I can't help but feel weird about the offer.  I didn't play _that_ well at the exhibition match, or even at the Cup Match.  And I came out of the Cup Match with an injury.  So why would I have caught the eye of Team USA's head coach?

I decide to dwell on it later rather than keeping Eren's family waiting any longer.  When I head back inside, everyone is busy cleaning up dinner.  Eren and his father are putting away leftovers while Mikasa and Carla are washing dishes.  Armin is cleaning down the counters and table, and I decide to grab a washcloth and help him.

"Who was that?" Eren asks.

"Isabel."

"Ooh, what did she want?  I was there when you told her not to call you unless it was important.  You're not getting fired, are you?"

"Who's Isabel?" Eren's father asks at the same time his mother says, "Eren, don't pry."

"Isabel is Levi's agent.  And Levi gave me a ring that specifically gives me the right to pry," Eren says, wiggling his fingers at his mother, his engagement ring glinting under the lights of the kitchen.

"It is actually something I'm going to have to discuss with you at some point, so I might as well tell you now," I tell Eren.  "Isabel got a call from the head coach of Team USA."

Eren stops what he's doing immediately and looks up, his vibrant green eyes wide.  "Ohmygod the _head coach_ seriously called Isabel?  What did he want?  Is there another exhibition match?" he asks all in one breath, then gasps as another idea comes to him.  "Did he invite you to play in the World Cup?"

"Bingo."

"Holy shit Levi that's amazing!" Eren exclaims, running over to me and pulling me into a crushing hug.  But he pulls back a moment later.  "Did you accept?"

"I'm going to have to think about it, and-"

"What?  What is there to think about?" Eren cuts me off, his confusion clear in his tone.  "Levi, the _World Cup._   You were invited to play on the world stage.  It doesn't get any higher than that in the world of soccer.  This is literally where every soccer athlete in the _entire world_ tries to get.  It's the opportunity of a lifetime!  Why didn't you accept?"

"Like I said, we need to discuss this together," I remind him.  "If I accept, I'm going to have to move to wherever training will be held for the team.  That could be across the country.  And it'll be for a long time, possibly half the year.  You won't be able to come with me, you have school."

"And he is still injured," Grisha interjects.  "It might not be good for him to play this summer."

"Dear, this is their discussion.  Don't interject," Carla chastises.

"I'm just saying," Grisha says, holding his hands up in a surrendering fashion.

"No, he's right," I say.  "As much as I hate to say it, there's a possibility I won't be back to one hundred percent before training starts, and if I'm not, it doesn't matter what decision we make before hand, I won't be playing."

"It really is a huge opportunity though," Mikasa says.  "Do you think you'll be invited again next year if you don't accept this year?"

"I can't say for sure.  It's not a permanent invitation.  It'll all depend on how I play next year.  If I don't play well enough, then they won't offer the invitation.  One upside though is that the recruiters have already noticed me, so they'll probably have their eye on me next season, whether I play for Team USA this summer or not."

"Well, regardless of what decision you and Eren come to, congratulations dear," Carla smiles, drying her hands after handing the last dish to Mikasa to dry.  "The World Cup....  That's really something."

"Thank you," I tell her with a smile.

"Eren, we should go get our bags out of the car," Mikasa says as she puts away the final dish.

"Ah, yeah, we should probably do that," Eren agrees.  He reaches out a hand for the car keys.  "I'll get your bag."

I hand him the keys, and he disappears with Mikasa and Armin.  I probably should've gone with him, because I don't want to be here alone with his parents, but I know he wouldn't have let me anyway, so it would've been a useless effort.  The moment that we're alone, Eren's father sits down across from me at the table.  I have a feeling he's about to give me some sort of speech regarding how he expects me to treat his son and I'm suddenly really nervous.  Perhaps I don't have his approval yet like I thought I did?  I had assumed that he liked me well enough, but maybe I was wrong.

"I know that you know of Eren's disease, very well actually, but I just want to make sure you know exactly what being with him entails," he says, and I realize immediately that I hadn't quite hit the mark with my assumptions.  "If you're serious about marrying my son, and about being with him the rest of your life, then you need to know what you're getting into.  If I'm going to be passing on responsibility to you, then I need to have confidence that you'll be able to take care of him."

Now I'm realizing that, not only had I missed the mark, but I was miles away from it.  Not only does he approve of me, but he wants to make sure that I'll be able to take care of his son.  He's ready to let Eren go, and he's doing everything in his power to make sure the person he hands him off to will adequately be able to care for him.  He's accepted me.

"Whatever you have to say that will help me better understand Eren's condition, then please tell me," I say.

He nods.  "You need to always be aware of him, as bad as it sounds.  I'm not telling you to stalk him or try to control him.  I'm sure you know that won't go over well with Eren.  He likes to be very... independent," he laughs, and I nod with a smile of my own, knowing all too well that to be true.  "But keep an eye on him.  Things can happen at any time, just like earlier during dinner.  They happen more often than I'd like to admit, and you need to be ready to handle it.  The important thing is to not panic.  Small things like that, he knows how to take care of by himself, so let him.  Anything bigger, he'll need to go to the hospital for stitches.  Also, he is going to be on medication for the rest of his life.  He has regular hospital visits to a specialist, so I don't know what your health insurance situation is, but it'll need to fit his needs.  Sometimes his appointments can turn into a few hours stay in the hospital, or even overnight observation.  He gets regular injections from his doctor that will need to be cared for to make sure there is no excessive bleeding or bruising.  And most pain medication is an absolute no-go for him.  Most are blood thinners and if he takes them, it can cause serious problems."

I make note of everything he says, making sure to commit it all to memory.  Most of the things he says I already knew, or I at least figured as much, but I value everything he says anyway.  Eren enters the room then, and alerts us of his presence with a sigh.

"Dad, you're going to scare off my fiancée."

I roll my eyes.  "He's telling me everything that I need to know.  If I want to marry you, then I need to know how to take care of you.  I was going to talk to Hanji about it anyway so I would've found out sooner or later."

"You know his doctor?" Grisha asks me.

"Yes.  Funny enough, she's actually dating my coach.  So I know her well enough."

"That's perfect.  You shouldn't have any problems then.  If you do, I'm sure she'll be able to help you.  She's a very sweet woman and I know she cares greatly for Eren."

I decide not to add my own input onto Grisha's description of Hanji.  Instead I merely nod in agreement.

"Alright, good good, you've done your fatherly duties, now can we stop talking about me like I'm not standing right here?" Eren complains.

"Sorry, but it needed to be said sooner or later," Grisha says.  "And now it's over and done with so we can talk about other things."

"Yes, like how Levi is most definitely going to accept the invitation to play in the fucking _World Cup_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay okay okay so if any of you know anything about the FIFA World Cup then you know that you don't just get invited onto a team the winter before the Cup. There is actually qualifying period that can be anywhere from two to three years where the (already selected) teams try to qualify. But I am NOT stretching this already thin plotline out another two to three years. So I'm just making up my own rules ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ I'll probably keep the actual Cup rules of match play the same (if I even write much of the Cup because right now I'm thinking no) but the qualifying bit all got thrown out the window.
> 
> Also, my time here in Japan is starting to come to an end. In less than a month I'll be back home. I hope that once I settle back into my normal life, I'll have a lot more time to write and the time between updates won't be this long. But, unfortunately I will be taking 21 units next semester, so we'll see XP
> 
> I'm on [Tumblr](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/) and I track the tag "fic: fotp"


	34. Couple Confronted with Serious Issue!

**Eren**

When the doors to the elevator open, the first thing I see is Levi sitting at the bar.  He has a tea cup on the counter in front of him, along with a few papers.  I recognize the purple file folder as the one Isabel dropped off a few days ago with an insisted 'They need these back by Friday, Levi, I'm serious'.  Of course he left them until the very last minute.  Isabel is probably on her way right now to make sure he's actually finished them.

"How was your appointment?" Levi asks, taking a sip of his tea.  I swear to god we could both live until we're old and wrinkly and grey and I'll never get tired of how he holds his cup.

"My tests are pretty bad this week.  Hanji's banned me from any and all contact with sharp objects," I tell him as I grab the pie box out of the fridge and pull a knife from the block.  I flick open the lid and lick my lips.  "Do you want a piece?"

"Eren," Levi warns in that protective tone he likes to use with me.

"Don't 'Eren' me," I snort.  "It's just a table knife.  It's not even sharp.  Besides, it was just a joke.  Hanji didn't actually ban me from sharp objects."

"She should've," I hear him mutter under his breath as he returns to his paperwork.

I roll my eyes and slice myself off a generous amount of pie.  Plopping down next to Levi at the counter, I peer over at the paperwork in front of him.  The paper he's reading over has a bunch of dialogue on it.

"Is that the interview from that reporter last week?" I ask.

Levi nods, taking another sip of his tea.  "It's going in next week's issue of Sports Illustrated and Isabel managed to finagle the editor into letting me look it over before they published it."

"You had a photo shoot to go with that interview, didn't you?"

He doesn't even answer.  Instead he grabs the purple folder and hands it to me.  I set my fork on my plate and eagerly reach for the folder, but he pulls it back with a glare.  "Don't you dare get anything on this folder."

I hesitate, then wipe my hands on my pants before reaching for the folder again.  Levi rolls his eyes, but lets me take the folder anyway.  I smirk as I flip it open.  The first few pages are the other interviews, the ones with Erwin and the other coaches, and also one with Mike.  After that are the pictures from the shoot they did last week at the stadium.  Most are group photos of the whole team with the Cup, and others are of the coaches.  Mike's solo shots follow those, then finally, at the very back, I find Levi's solo shots.

Sometimes, it's hard to believe that I'm engaged to someone like Levi Ackerman, especially when I'm looking at photos like these.  The first couple are action shots of him on the field with a ball, making shots or just handling the ball, just like Mike had some of him in the goal box.  I already have a number of shots like these, and honestly, mine are a lot better than this photographer's.  Geez, does this person even know how to take proper action shots?  And this person works for Sports Illustrated?  I wonder if they'd give me this photographer's job if I show them my portfolio.

It's the next couple of shots that make me hesitate, and brings a wide smile to my lips.  These ones are posed in front of a back drop, and hot damn does Levi look really fucking good.  The first one especially, with a light sheen of sweat on his forehead, his body turned at an angle from the camera as he pushes his fingers up through his bangs, moving them out from in front of his eyes.  His gaze is locked on the camera, smoldering and captivating.  They seem to look right out of the picture and into your soul.  Fuck I'm not sure I want anyone else to see this.  Or the other two, which aren't much better than this one.

"Okay I'm horny now," I announce, hopping off my stool.  "Let's go."

Levi rolls his eyes.  "Isabel will be here in a couple of minutes," he says, but then shoots me a look not too unlike the one in the picture, and it makes me instantly hard.  "I would need a lot longer than a couple of minutes to properly take care of you, love."

A shiver rolls through my spine as I slowly sit back down on the bar stool.  I want Isabel to get here and leave already so that Levi can 'properly take care of me'.  God damn I'm throbbing in my pants.  I don't think I can wait that long.

"I'm keeping this one," I tell him, holding up one of the posed solo shots, "and this one.  And this one."

I'm just about to give in and head to the bathroom to take care of the raging hard on that won't go away when the elevator dings, signaling that Isabel is here.  I rearrange myself in my pants and scoot the chair in closer to the bar so that my crotch is hidden under the counter as Isabel steps into the room.

"Hey Isabel!" I greet as I shove other bite of pie in my mouth.  "Want some pie?"

"I'm fine dear," she smiles.  "I'm only going to be here for a few minutes.  Levi, you do realize that you have a meeting with Hitch from Sports Illustrated in half an hour, and that it's a twenty-five minute drive to their office, right?"

"Yes I do," Levi replies.  "And if my math is correct, that leaves me five more minutes."

"You're wearing that?" Isabel asks with a raised eyebrow, looking down at Levi's team jacket pulled over a black t-shirt, and _my_ skinny jeans with the ends rolled up at his ankles- which by the way, he just barely managed to squeeze into this morning on account of his thick soccer legs.  "You're not going to change?"

"Nope."

Isabel sighs and snatches the paperwork from Levi to look it over.  She skims them, then hands them back to Levi.  "Good enough.  Hopefully this won't be a mistake, having you meet with them without me there to make sure you don't say or do something really stupid."

"You're not going with him?" I question. They usually go to these things together, if Levi even goes at all. Most of the time it's just Isabel.

"No, I have some other... things that I need to take care of," she says.

"What things?" Levi questions, looking up from the papers on the counter in front of him.

"Things.  Don't worry about it."

Levi lets it go, but I'm still a little curious.  I don't voice any questions though.  It's obvious that Isabel doesn't want us to know what she's dealing with right now.  I know that she's been working a lot of damage control ever since Levi announced his sexual preference on live television, and she usually doesn't tell Levi about each particular fire she's trying to put out.  She only tells him about the ones that turn out to be really serious.  So I guess it's a good things she's not telling him anything right now.

Levi packs the folders back up and hops down from the bar stool.  He presses a kiss to my cheek on his way to the elevator, but pauses to whisper into my ear.

"I'll take care of you as soon as I get back.  I promise."

I shiver again at the words carried on his warm breath, and watch his ass- which looks very, _very_ good in my jeans- disappear into the elevator.  My erection that had flagged down to half-mast comes back almost immediately.  God dammit, sometimes that man really frustrates me.

Once the elevator doors close and Levi is out of sight and ear shot, Isabel clears her throat, reminding me that I'm not the only one in the room.

"There actually is something I need to talk with you about, Eren," she says, and I quickly pick up on the serious tone in her usually peppy voice.

I turn to face her as she takes up the seat Levi had previously been occupying.  "What is it?"

"Like always, there's a problem with the press," she starts to explain.  "Now, please let me explain everything before you start to argue, okay?  Trust me when I say I'm very hesitant to believe the papers, but I need to ask, because I need to know the truth, and I need to believe it without a doubt."  She's starting to worry me now, but I nod anyway and she reaches into her purse to pull out a few pages of a newspaper, folded up into a small square.  She unfolds it, then holds it out to me.  "Is this true?  Please, please be honest with me, Eren.  This is very serious.  You can trust me."

My eyes widen as I read the article and a white hot anger immediately fills my entire being.  I jump up from my stool and toss the paper away from me as if it had physically burned me.  The front page headline _'Celebrity Athlete Abusing His Boyfriend?'_ followed by a picture of me, showing a big, black bruise on my jaw and down my neck, sits accusingly on the counter top.  That picture was taken just a day or two ago.  The bruise still sits on the left side of my face and neck, although now it is starting to fade.  Other pictures are clustered with the first, all zoomed in on other bruises on my face or arms.  Some pictures date back to the article outing Levi as gay and in a relationship with me.  Has someone seriously been gathering these pictures for that long?

But how dare they accuse Levi of abusing me!  They don't know anything about me or Levi.  They have absolutely zero proof that those bruises came from Levi.  Because they didn't!  So how could they do this?  This could ruin Levi!

"Of course this isn't true, Izzy!" I nearly shout.  "You actually _believe_ this?  How could you?"

Isabel holds her hands up in a defensive motion.  "Eren, I don't want to believe that Levi could do something like this to you, and in all honestly, I don't believe it.  Not knowing how much he loves you and cares about you.  But for _your_ safety, I needed to be open minded about it.  I needed to be able to believe you if you told me that it was true, and that Levi was hurting you.  Because honestly, dear, you're always covered in bruises and I have no idea where they come from.  You always say it's because you're clumsy, but nobody is _that_ clumsy, dear."

"Okay that might've been a lie, but they're not from Levi!  They're from-"

The elevator dings and we both look up to see the doors open and Levi step out.  "I know I know I'm going to be late but I forgot my..." he trails off when he picks up on the tension in the room.  And I'm still royally pissed off, which I'm sure he notices.  His eyebrows draw together and he looks sharply between me and Isabel.  "What's going on?"  His tone is less of a question, and more of a demand.

I want to hide the article from him.  I don't want him to see such an offensive accusation, but then I decide that he needs to know.  He needs to be prepared for any adverse reactions from the public.  I pick up the newspaper and show it to him.  "It's the press.  They've gone too far this time."

Levi frowns even more and takes the paper.  I watch as a number of different emotions flash through his blue-grey eyes, starting with surprise and ending with anger.

"You don't actually believe this shit, do you?" he accuses of Isabel, his voice cold and hard as ice.

"No, of course not, but I needed to make sure, for Eren's safety," she defends.  "And based on his reaction to the article, I'm one hundred percent sure that what the article says isn't true, and I'll continue to fight it."

"This can't be legal," Levi growls, throwing the paper down.  "Can't we press charges?  Isn't this... slander or something?  They can't accuse me of illegal acts with no proof.  It's not even close to being true!  I'd _never_ hurt Eren.  _Ever._   He is my entire world.  I would never even _dream_ of hurting him."

"I know that, Levi, I do.  And I trust me, I will be pressing charges.  I will do everything in my power to fight this," Isabel promises him.

"I have to tell them the truth," I suddenly realize, my voice soft.

"Eren, no," Levi responds quickly.  "There's a reason you've been keeping it secret for so long.  If you come out with the truth now, you'll never be able to hide it again."

"But my hiding it has resulted in _this_!" I argue, gesturing sharply to the paper Levi had thrown down.  "It's not worth you getting your name dragged through the mud for, or possibly losing your job over, or worse.  You're always struggling to keep me safe and protect me Levi, but now it's _my_ turn to protect _you_.  And if this is the only way I can do it, then let me do it."

"What is going on?" Isabel questions in confusion.  "What are you hiding?"

"Eren-" Levi starts to protest, although he still looks shocked from my declaration.

"I have hemophilia," I interrupt him.  Isabel's eyes widen a little in surprise.  "It's a blood disease.  Genetic.  I won't go into all the little details, because that's not important, but what is important is that my blood doesn't clot very well and that causes spontaneous bruising all over my body.  I also will bruise at the slightest of provocations.  Most of the bruises you've seen on me, that the public has seen, that the press has photographed, are bruises that I just woke up with that morning.  Like this one," I say, pointing to the one on my jaw.  "Levi didn't hit me.  He didn't even touch me.  I just woke up a couple mornings ago with it."

"Oh my god..." Isabel breathes.

"I will ask my doctor to give a statement.  If I tell her it's okay, then she will.  Hanji knows Levi, and she knows that he's not hurting me."

"Hanji, as in Dr. Hanji Zoe?  Erwin's girlfriend?"

"Yes, her.  She's my doctor."

"Wow, small world," Isabel laughs shortly.  "Yes, okay.  Please explain to her the situation, and then I'll talk to her and arrange a press conference for all three of you, if you're sure about this."

"Absolutely," I say without hesitation.

"Good.  Because the sooner we can get out there and derail these accusations, the better," Isabel says.

"When was this article released?" Levi asks.

"Just this morning.  So there hasn't been too much uproar yet, but trust me, it will come if we don't settle this soon.  I'll make calls to Erwin and Zackly to assure them that the article is not true, and I will work as much damage control as I can.  I assure you, Eren, that I won't spread around your medical history.  I'll let you reveal as much or as little as you want to yourself at the press conference.  Hopefully we can get the press conference scheduled for this weekend.  If we wait until Monday, it could be too late."  As she speaks, she's already taking out her phone and dialing a number.  "Levi, you really need to get to that meeting."

"Fuck the meeting.  Call and reschedule it.  I can't deal with that right now," Levi snaps.

Isabel just nods and puts the phone to her ear.  Levi dry washes his face with his hands and I follow him when he heads towards the couch.  He drops down heavily onto it and I take a seat next to him.

"I'm so sorry about this, Eren," he says, burying his face in his hands and resting his elbows on his knees.  "I was hoping the worst of these issues with the press was behind us.  I never thought they'd come up with something like this."

"It's not your fault," I reassure him.  "If anything, it's my fault.  If I was open about my condition from the beginning-"

"No, it's not your fault, and your condition isn't the world's business.  You had every right to keep that to yourself."

"Yeah, I know, but-"

I'm interrupted a second time, but this time it's by my phone.  It starts to ring in my pocket and I pull it out to see that the caller is unknown.  With a frown I answer it and put the phone to my ear.

"Hello?"

 _"Eren Jaeger?"_ a female voice asks from the other end of the line.

"Yeah, that's me."

 _"This is Detective Ilse Langer, the lead detective on your case,"_ the woman, Ilse, says.

"Oh, hi Detective Langer.  Are there any new developments on my case?" I ask, a little curious as to why she's calling.  That must be the reason, right?

 _"Actually, no.  I'm calling for another reason,"_ she tells me.  _"It was brought to my attention that allegations have been made against a Mr. Levi Ackerman on the basis of assault against you.  Now, I understand that it was a newspaper article that brought forth the allegations, and I am loathe to believe what is published by the press, but I felt that I needed to take it upon myself to check in on you.  We don't take the accusation of abuse lightly.  Is there anything you would like to report?"_

I sigh heavily and cover the bottom of my phone before calling, "Isabel, it's starting."  My voice is nearly a whine.  The look on Levi's face is one of someone ready to kill and honestly it scares me a little bit.

"From this point forward, I am your lawyer, and any calls you get in regards to this issue, simply tell them to contact me," Isabel replies.  "Who is it?"

"The police."

"Oh, just tell them that you deny all accusations against Levi and that they can contact me if they want more details."

I nod and turn back to my phone.  "No, there's nothing I want to report, Detective.  I deny all accusations against Levi.  He would never hurt me.  He's a good man.  Please don't pursue this case.  There will be a press conference soon probably where everything will be explained, and if you have any questions, please call my lawyer, Isabel Church."

_"I believe you, Eren.  I just wanted to make sure you were safe.  I will make sure I catch that conference, and I may give your lawyer a call if we need any further information, but rest assured that we cannot and will not pursue Ackerman unless we get a statement from you first that incriminates him."_

"Okay, thank you Detective."

I hang up and Levi is looking at me warily.  "So?  Should I be expecting the police to come kicking in my door?"

"No.  She just wanted to make sure I was safe and I assured her that the article was bullshit.  She believes me, and she told me that the police won't pursue you unless I give them a statement that incriminates you."

"That's right," Isabel says from the bar.  "The police can't detain you unless they have a victim complaint or a complaint from a reliable witness.  The press is not a reliable witness.  You'll be fine Levi.  This will all be cleared up in no time."

"Speaking of that, I need to call Hanji," I murmur, picking my phone back up and speed dialing my doctor.

It rings for a long minute, and I fear that she may not be in a position to answer when she finally does.

 _"Dr. Hanji Zoe, how may I help you?"_ her normally eccentric voice answers.

"Hi Hanji, it's me, Eren."

_"Oh Eren, you were just here over an hour ago.  What could you have possible done in such a short amount of time?  Well whatever it is, it's fine.  I'll move my next appointment back and-"_

"No, no, Hanji I'm fine.  There's something else I need to talk to you about," I interrupt her.

_"Oh good.  What's up buttercup?"_

"Well... did you happen to see any news articles today?"

 _"No I didn't.  I've been pretty busy all day.  What's going on?"_ she asks in concern.

"Well someone released an article claiming that Levi's been abusing me.  It has a bunch of pictures of me with bruises.  Levi's agent is trying to set up a press conference, hopefully for some time this weekend, to deny the accusations.  I want you to come and tell the reporters about my condition.  I give you permission to.  I'll sign a release or whatever you need me to do.  I just need to get Levi's name cleared," I practically beg of her.

 _"Oh my god of course hun!  Of course I'll give a statement.  I'm so sorry to hear that this is happening to you two.  Just have Levi's agent give me a call with the time and place and I'll be there,"_ she promises me.

"Okay, thanks Hanji."

_"No problem.  Best of luck to you and the short stack."_

I hang up the phone at the same time Isabel finishes her calls.  She stands from the counter and approaches us on the couch.

"I just got off the phone with both Erwin and Zackly.  You know Erwin, he's behind you one hundred percent, he doesn't believe the papers.  With Zackly.... well let's just say after everything that's happened with the press these last couple of months, you're going to have to play _really_ well this next season to win back his favor," she tells us.

"I figured as much," Levi mutters.  "What about Eren, do you think he's going to be okay?"

"What do you mean?" I question, not really understanding his question.

"I mean will he be safe from the public?  I don't want my 'fans' attacking him because they blame him for this, like they did after they found out we were seeing each other."

"This is a pretty different situation, Levi," I argue.

"Last time you got dragged into the press stories with me, I didn't think you'd face any adverse reactions from the public and you were almost killed.  I won't be making that mistake again," he insists.  He turns back to Isabel.  "What do you think?"

"I guess there is always reason to be cautious.  It is the weekend, and I plan to hold this press conference before the weekend comes to an end, so you two should just stay here and stay out of the public eye until this boils over.  Just to be safe."

"I have work both tomorrow and Sunday though.  Morning shifts.  It's too late to bail now.  There's no way Rico would be able to find a replacement.  She'd kill me. Literally," I protest.

"I'll take you to work and pick you up after."

"Okay, but no loitering around the premises like a creepy stalker," I warn him.

He rolls his eyes at me.  "You should be fine in a public location surrounded by your coworkers.  I'm not _that_ paranoid."

"Good," I say with a smile, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"I'm going to try and get the ball rolling on this press conference," Isabel says as she walks towards the elevator.  "I'll call Hitch from Sports Illustrated and have her reschedule your meeting.  You two stay out of trouble."

"Oh, Hanji said she'd be happy to give a statement at the press conference," I tell her.  "Just give her a call to tell her when and where."

"Will do, thanks Eren."

"Bye Isabel," I smile with a wave.

Only when she leaves and the elevator door closes behind her do I allow my forced smile to drop as I turn back to Levi.  He's still obviously pretty irked about the whole situation, so I scoot closer to him and stroke my fingers lightly down his thigh.  He looks down at his leg, watching the path my fingers take.

"Don't worry so much about this, Levi.  We both know it's not true, and soon the world will know it as well," I try to reassure him.

"I know," is all he says, taking my hand and holding it tightly in his.

I wish there was something I could do to take all this stress away.  He has so much on his plate.  He really doesn't have time to deal with this.  And he's a good person.  He shouldn't _have_ to deal with something like this.  But unfortunately there's nothing I can do to make things right until that press conference.  I'll be able to set the record straight then.  I'll be able to reassure everyone that that's not the kind of person Levi is.  I just hope it'll be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of you guys called that the press would accuse Levi of abusing Eren. That was also one of the scenes I had planned almost from the very beginning, so I'm happy I finally got to write it. Just some more press drama in this paparazzi-crazy fic! ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Oh! And you can thank the wonderful [atkaaa](http://atkaaa.tumblr.com/) over on Tumblr for the Levi-in-Eren's-skinny-jeans imagery. We had a lovely conversation a few months back about how Levi would have these killer calves and thighs from playing soccer, and how hot he'd look if he squeezed into Eren's skinny jeans. That scene was for you bae c:


	35. A Date Is Set!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So somewhere between this update and the last, FotP turned 1 year old and that kinda surprises me! It hasn't felt like a year but thank you guys for sticking around for this long! :) Here's the next chapter, and I know it's been a while since there's been any smut, so how about we start off with some ne? Enjoy!

**Chapter 35: A Date Is Set!  
Levi**

That night when Eren and I go to bed, I climb on top of him and he eagerly wraps his arms around my neck.  Despite the events of this afternoon, I did promise him that I'd take care of him tonight.  And honestly we can both use the distraction.  Eren's hands run down my back to the hem of my shirt, and I pull back from him just long enough for him to pull my shirt off over my head.  When I move to take off his shirt, he awkwardly shifts his weight and giggles as it gets stuck on his shoulders.  I can't help but laugh too, and I grab his waist and roll us so he's on top of me.  He pulls off his shirt, then curls up against my side.

"Are you okay, Levi?" he asks me, running his fingers lightly up my arm, his lips on my neck and shoulder.

I look over at him, bringing a hand up to trace the fading bruise on his neck and jaw.  "I just wish they'd leave you alone."

He props himself up on an elbow and my hand falls from his neck.  "You mean us."

"I've been dealing with the press for seven years.  I know how to handle them.  But ever since you came into my life, they've been going after you.  And now you're going to stand up in front of these animals and tell the world your private business.  It just pisses me off.  You shouldn't be having to deal with this shit."

"I knew what I was signing up for when I agreed to marry you," Eren points out.  "I knew what it would mean to be married to a professional athlete.  I knew the press would dig into our lives.  But being with you is worth having to deal with the press every once in a while.  That's not to say that they didn't cross a line with this recent article.  But it's something that we'll be able to deal with together."

"I still don't know what I've done to deserve you," I tell him, completely serious.

He smiles and climbs on top of me, straddling my lap.  My hands fall almost instinctually, naturally, to his hips.  He leans in to feather kisses up my neck, along my jaw, and to my lips.

"I wonder the same thing every day," he murmurs against my lips.  "Now, I believe you have a promise to keep."

I smirk and roll him over onto his back.  The rest of our clothes disappear as we devour each other.  With kiss swollen lips, I trail kisses down his neck and chest, stopping to take a nipple between my teeth.  Eren moans beneath me, and when my hand finds his erection, his breath hitches and he starts to writhe as I tease the head.

"Fuck, Levi," he practically whines.

But I don't stop my teasing.  I spend so much time teasing his nipples and playing with his cock that it reduces him to a begging, whining mess beneath me.  I roll the hard nub around on my tongue, pinching it between my teeth, and sucking hard between bites.  Eren's hands fist in my hair and once I've teased his chest enough, I move down his stomach, pausing at his navel, then continuing down to his throbbing erection.  My teasing doesn't cease as I swipe my tongue around the base of his cock.

"Levi _please_ ," Eren begs.

"Please what?" I murmur into his thick hair.

"Please suck it," he pleads.

"Suck what?  This?" I ask as I move further down and swirl my tongue around his sack.  I pull one into my mouth with a gentle suck.

He gasps and his fingers tighten in my hair.  "N-No.  My cock.  Please suck my cock."

"As you wish," I smirk moving to run my tongue up the underside of his cock, from base to tip.

Eren moans and that sweet sound coming from his lips goes straight into my cock.  A moan of my own escapes my lips, vibrating around Eren's erection in my mouth.  I suck lightly on the head of Eren's cock before taking in the full length.  My hands grip his hips tightly, then run up his sides.  Eren's whole body shivers beneath me.  But then Eren is pulling me off his cock.  I try to resist, but he's persistent and I release his erection with a soft pop.

Eren sits up and pushes me down onto the mattress.  He turns so that his knees are straddling my face, and his own face hovers over my crotch.  I immediately lift my head, diving for that delicious cock hanging right above me.  I take the full length back into my mouth and I can feel Eren's tongue on my own erection.  I swallow around Eren's cock, running my hands up and down Eren's legs on either side of me, feeling his warmth beneath my fingers.

Eren doesn't last much longer.  With a deep moan around my cock, he comes down my throat and I greedily swallow every last drop.  He continues to suck hard on my own erection through his entire orgasm, and the desperation behind his movements has me coming not long after.

Eren turns himself around, licking his lips with a content look in his eyes as he curls back up next to me.  I wrap an arm around him and pull him into me, content to feel his warm body against mine.  He happily drapes an arm and leg over me, nuzzling into my collarbone.

"How was that for upholding my promise?" I ask into his hair.

"Perfect," he murmurs.  His breath causes goose bumps on my skin.  "Are you feeling any better?"

"I feel fantastic.  We'll see how I feel once we have this press conference though."

"Yeah, that's going to be a pain in the ass," he complains.

I press a kiss to his forehead and he smiles up at me, stealing my lips for a better kiss.  "I love you, you know that right?"

"Yeah I know.  It's almost as much as I love you."

"Almost?  I doubt that," I snort.

"Well then how about you show me how much you love me and I'll decide who loves who more," he propositions.

"Aren't you a little feisty tonight," I laugh.

"What, can't keep up old man?"

"Just you watch me."

...

Sunday afternoon finds me and Eren, along with Erwin and Hanji, backstage to a press conference that I would much rather not have to deal with.  Eren seems nervous, so I take his hand and give it a squeeze.  I run a finger over his ring, feeling the smooth of the band and each individual stone.  We're in this together.  That's what he told me Friday night, and has continuously reminded me of all weekend.  I'm still marveling over what I could've possibly done to deserve someone like Eren.  How did I end up with someone who loves me so much that they're willing to put up with all this shit in order to be with me?

"Okay guys, we're on," Isabel says as she appears around the corner.

Eren and I stand and follow her around the corner and out onto the platform where a short table with plenty of microphones are set up.  I don't drop Eren's hand as we cross the platform to the flash of dozens of cameras and a few shouted questions.  We take our seats, Eren in the middle with me to his left and Hanji to his right. Isabel is to my left, and Erwin to Hanji's right.  Isabel remains standing, and when the audience quiets down and the event coordinator gives her the thumbs up to start, she takes her seat and leans towards the microphone.

"We called this press conference today to dispute the horrendous accusations brought about in a recent newspaper article.  The publisher, whom I will not name here, published an article Friday morning that stated unfounded accusations that Mr. Ackerman was physically abusing Mr. Jaeger.  I will start off by stating that Mr. Ackerman has sued the publisher for damages, primarily on behalf of Mr. Jaeger who, at the expense of keeping his personal business private, has agreed to speak in front of all of you this evening."  I give Eren's hand a gentle squeeze under the table and he returns it.  I can feel him shaking ever so slightly.  "This article is slanderous, as there is absolutely no proof that Mr. Ackerman has been physically abusing Mr. Jaeger.  And there is no proof because it simply isn't true, and this unfounded accusation has tarnished Mr. Ackerman's good name."

Isabel pauses and looks across the table at me and Eren.  Eren gives her a short nod and she turns back to the microphone.  "This press release is going to be short.  Mr. Jaeger will give a short statement, which will be backed up by a reliable expert.  We also invited the Scouts' head coach, Mr. Erwin Smith, to give a short statement on his and the team owner's, Mr. Darius Zackly, behalf regarding Mr. Ackerman's future with the Scouts.  Only after will we be accepting a few questions."

She leans back and gives a nod to Eren, who swallows hard and hesitantly leans forward towards the microphones.  "Uhm-"  One of the microphones picks up feedback and a loud, obnoxious sound echoes through the room.  Eren startles, backs away a little, then tries again.  I put a hand on his thigh, attempting to comfort him.  It's obvious how anxious he is about being up here.  "Uhm, I just want to start by saying that Levi- uh, Mr. Ackerman, isn't abusing me.  I can't even begin to put into words how good he is to me.  Uh... that being said, I guess I have to explain all the bruises, so you guys know I'm telling the truth.  Levi didn't cause them, I promise.  I actually have..." he pauses and glances at Hanji.  She gives him a small smile and motions for him to continue.  "I have a blood condition called hemophilia."

A murmur echoes through the room.  Some of the people in the audience probably know what the condition is, and everything is starting to make sense to them now.  Others don't, and they look around in confusion, or they continue to stare at Eren in hopes that he'll elaborate.

"This is my doctor, Hanji Zoe," Eren says, gesturing to Hanji on his right.  "She's been treating me for... about three years.  She will tell you more about my condition."

Eren sits back in his chair and takes my hand on his thigh, gripping it firmly.  I weave my fingers between his and give him a small smile.  I hate that he's having to do this, and I can see how hard it is for him.  He's kept his condition private from everyone for so long.  Now it's out there for the world to know.  And all because the press couldn't keep their nose out of mine and Eren's private life.

Hanji goes on to explain what hemophilia is and its effect on a patient's blood and body.  She describes in detail how the condition can lead to unprovoked bruising.  But I'm not really paying too much attention to what she's saying.  I know what the disease is doing to Eren, I've already been informed of the side effects.  Instead I focus on Eren to make sure he's doing okay, but also on the audience to take in their reactions to what Hanji is telling them.  I notice, standing against the wall at the back of the room, is that detective that lead the press release after Eren was attacked.  She's the lead detective on that case.  Detective Langer.  I watch her for a moment as she listens to Hanji's statement and takes a few quick notes on her pad.

When Hanji finishes her explanation, going into a little more detail than is entirely necessary to get the point across, many of the reporters shout over the top of each other, trying to get their questions heard.  Isabel stands, raising a hand to quiet the audience.

"Coach Smith is going to give a quick statement, and then we'll open the floor up to questions," she says, then takes her seat and motions for Erwin to go ahead and speak.

"I am just here to inform you that I, and the entire Scouts team, all stand behind Ackerman as he fights these accusations.  We all know Levi very well, and have come to know Mr. Jaeger pretty well through their relationship.  We all know that Levi would never harm Eren, and we were as shocked to read these unfounded accusations as he was.  Neither I, nor Scouts owner Darius Zackly, will be taking any disciplinary action against Ackerman."

Erwin sits back and the room erupts as the reporters try to get their questions in.  In all my years with the Scouts, and all of the press conferences I've been too, I've never learned how to hear any one specific question when they all shout like this.  But Isabel seems to know what to do and she points down at one reporter in particular.

"Mr. Jaeger," he starts by asking, "is it your statement then that all the bruises that were depicted in that article, that every one of them formed of their own accord due to this blood condition?"

"Uh, yes I believe so," Eren answers.

"You believe so?  What else could they have been caused by if not by your hemophilia?" another reporter asks.

"Oh, well they were all technically caused by my hemophilia," Eren clarifies.  "It's just that they might not all have randomly formed.  As my doctor said, it doesn't take much contact to bruise me.  I'll show you."  I shoot him a look, but he's not paying attention to me, completely absorbed in what he's doing.  He lifts both hands, and with his right hand, he wraps his fingers around his left wrist and squeezes.  "Before this press conference comes to an end, you'll see, my wrist will have a bruise."

"Mr. Ackerman!  How do you feel about this whole ordeal?"

I fight to keep from gritting my teeth.  How do they think I feel?!  "Absolutely disgusted.  None of you know me.  That someone would dare to presume that I'm hurting the love of my life is absolutely repulsive."

"Mr. Smith!" a reporter calls over the rest.  "Has an investigation been launched, either by you or by the police, to verify Mr. Ackerman and Mr. Jaeger's statements?"

"Actually, I will answer that, if I may," the detective calls from the back of the room.

Eren looks up at her, startled, as if he hadn't noticed she was back there.  All heads in the audience swivel to see who had spoken.  Isabel stands with an eager nod, gesturing for the detective to come join us on stage.  Detective Langer hurries around the grouping of chairs and climbs up onto the stage.  Isabel offers up her seat and Detective Langer takes it, leaning towards the microphones.

"I am Detective Langer with Trost Police Department.  I have made contact with Mr. Jaeger, Mrs. Church, and Dr. Zoe, all regarding the allegations published in the newspaper Friday morning.  Seeing as Mr. Jaeger has declined to press charges, and going off of Dr. Zoe's testimony, the police department has decided not to pursue an investigation.  If the Trost Police Department felt that Mr. Jaeger was in danger from Mr. Ackerman in anyway, we would be pursuing the case.  But there is no evidence to suggest that Mr. Ackerman has done any harm to Mr. Jaeger."

"Thank you, Detective Langer.  And I feel like that is a good place to end this press conference.  Thank you all for attending," Isabel says as a clear dismissal.

The press shout more questions at us as we all stand, but we all ignore them as we make our exit.  Once we leave the room, Eren stops me and pulls me into a hug.  I'm surprised at first, but I hug him back tightly.  He's still shaking a little against me.  When he pulls back though, he has a smile on his lips.

"I actually feel a little better, getting that off my chest," he tells me.  "Maybe it was a mistake to keep it hidden for so long."

"I'm glad you don't regret it," I tell him, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"You did great, hun," Isabel says to Eren as she approaches us. "I'm proud of you.  I know it must've taken a lot of courage for you to get up there and say all of that."

"Yeah, it was a little nerve wracking," Eren admits, "but I would do anything for Levi.  Really, that was nothing."

I just stare at Eren for a long moment, then pull him by the front of his shirt into a kiss, unable to think of any other way to show him my gratitude at those words.  He kisses me back just as desperately as I kiss him, and when he starts to ease his tongue between my lips is when Hanji interrupts us.

"Okay, lovebirds, we better get out of here before the press finds the back door," she urges.

Eren and I pull apart and Eren looks around, a slight color to his cheeks, as if he had forgotten for a moment where we were.  I didn't think it was possible for me to fall any more in love with him than I already was, but leave it to him to prove me wrong.  I take his hand and we follow Hanji, Isabel, and Erwin from the hall and out of the building, hopefully, leaving all our problems with the press behind us for good, present and future.

We're in the parking lot, heading towards our car, when someone calls Eren's name.  We both look back to see Detective Langer jogging up to us.  Isabel pauses as well, probably curious as to what this is about just in case there's trouble and she needs to help.

"Is there a problem?" Eren asks as the detective reaches us.

"No, no.  I just wanted to tell you that we got a call from the court this morning that your case is going to trial, not this coming Thursday, but the Thursday after.  Are you still okay with testifying?" she asks me.

"Yes, of course," Eren responds immediately.  "Whatever I can do to make sure these guys get put away, I'll do it."

"Good.  In that case, the ADA would like to meet with you some time before the trial starts to go over your testimony and to let you know how it's going to work.  I'll give him a call and let him know your decision, and he'll be in touch with you."

"Will Levi be able to come with me when I meet with the ADA?" Eren asks, squeezing my hand.

"You'll have to ask him, but he's a pretty understanding guy.  I don't think he'll have a problem with that," she answers with a smile.

"Okay.  Thank you very much, Detective."

"You can call me Ilse," she tells him with a small chuckle.  "Have a nice day Eren.  You too, Mr. Ackerman."

...

The next week following the press conference proves to be peaceful as far as the press is concerned.  The publisher of the accusing article released a formal apology and, after a long negotiation with Isabel, settled for damages.  I try to give Eren all the money, because frankly, I don't really need it, especially since my contract with the Scouts wasn't terminated.  Besides, the article had caused Eren more damages than me.  But Eren is too stubborn for his own good sometimes.

"It was your reputation on the line, Levi," he argues.  "I wasn't the only one damaged by the article."

"Well I'm not a college student," I return, my fingers skimming sensually along his spine, enjoying the feeling of his warm skin beneath my touch.  "You need the money a lot more than I do."

"Yeah but-"

"No buts.  I already had Isabel transfer the amount to your bank account," I interrupt him.

"You what!?" he splutters, shooting upright from where he had been laying next to me.  The cold air chills my side and I frown at him, wanting to pull him back down into my arms.  "Are you serious?"

"Completely.  Now get back here."

After pouting at me a moment longer- which may I say is absolutely adorable- he lays back down with me.  But the moment is ruined by the ding of the elevator and the call of Isabel's voice.

"Hello?  Anyone home?" her voice echoes through the flat.  "If you two are... busy, then I can come back at another time."

I climb out of bed with a huff and pull on a pair of sweats before leaving the bedroom.  "Well we're not busy anymore."

"Good, because we need to talk," she says, taking a seat at the bar.  I tentatively join her.

"Uh oh, what did I do this time?" I ask just as Eren emerges from the bedroom, shrugging into a shirt.  He must catch my question because his expression is nervous as he sidles up next to me.

"What's going on?" he asks.

"It's nothing serious, guys," Isabel assures us with a smile.  "Well... it kind of is serious, but not in a bad way.  The head coach for Team USA called me this morning.  He needs your answer."

I exhale sharply and drop my head onto the countertop.  Shit, I forgot all about that.  "I haven't thought much about it.  I've kind of had things on my mind," I tell her.

"Yes, I know, but all that trouble with the article is finally behind you, so now you need to think about this," Isabel urges.

"You mean they didn't retract their offer after that article released?" I retort as a joke, but my tone is far from joking.

"Of course they didn't why would they do that?" Eren questions in a rush.  "We proved it was a false accusation.  They would've been in the wrong to retract the offer."

"He's right," Isabel says.  "They have no standing to retract their offer.  But regardless of whether they had standing or not, they didn't act on it because they called me this morning to ask if you had accepted the offer yet.  So?  What do I tell them?"

"I don't know..." I grumble under my breath.

"Oh come on Levi!" Eren whines.  "You have to take the offer!  What are you not sure about?"

"Well first off did you miss the whole 'we want diversity on our teams!' spiel from the Team USA committee after the last Olympic games?  This country is really pushing to be diverse and to show the rest of the world how diverse they are, which means the only thing that qualified me for a position on Team USA is that I'm as straight as Eren's ass."  Eren frowns in confusion and actually looks back at his own ass.

Isabel rolls her eyes at me though.  "You were the lead striker in the entire MLS this year, and you almost single handedly led the Scouts to the championship this season.  _That_ is what qualified you for a position on Team USA at this year's World Cup," she corrects me.  "Yes, they probably really appreciate the fact that your sexuality counts as diversity on the team, but that's not the only prerequisite.  It's not even a prerequisite.  They recruit based on skill and you have that in spades."

"She's right," Eren agrees with a determined nod of his head.  "You absolutely belong on that team and the only person benefitting from the fact that you're gay is me."

He has a cheeky smile on his face and I smirk back at him, grabbing hold of the hem of his shirt and pulling him into me.  "I don't know, I'd say I'm also benefitting a great deal from being gay," I murmur, kissing down his neck and along the ridge of his shoulder.

"Okay guys, I'll leave in a minute so you can get your groove on again but please I _just_ need your answer Levi.  Two seconds, yes or no, then I'm out of your hair," Isabel pleads almost desperately.

"Come on Levi, you _have_ to," Eren begs again, his arms wrapping around my neck, fingers carding through my hair.

"I have the feeling I've heard this before," I say sarcastically, raising an eyebrow at him.  "Oh that's right, back before the exhibition match when you begged me to accept the invitation."

"Yes, but now I'm begging you to accept the invitation to play in the World Cup.  And let me remind you that _you_ gave me a ring that says my opinion has a lot more weight now than it did back then," he teases, holding up his left hand and wiggling his fingers at me.  But when he lowers it, he grows serious.  "What about this: I know I wanted to wait until after I graduated before getting married, but if you accept this offer, then we can get married before you leave."

I just look at him with wide eyes for a moment.  Even Isabel seems surprised, but a smile is pulling at her lips nonetheless.  We hadn't actually discussed our ideas for when we wanted to get married in detail yet.  Eren had simply mentioned his desire to wait until he graduated in passing.  It wasn't even a detail that particularly stuck in my head because I had from the very beginning assumed we'd wait until after he graduated.  That's what most people who get engaged in college do, right?

"Are you sure about this, Eren?  I don't want you to rush into this, just to use it as a bargaining chip," I say, my hands caressing gently down his sides.

"Absolutely.  What's the point of waiting anyway?  I love you and it seems that you love me too and waiting until after I graduate isn't going to change anything," he assures me with a shrug.  "Maybe I can even come with you to the World Cup matches and it could be our honeymoon.  My I-married-a-professional-athlete-so-my-honeymoon-is-at-a-sporting-event honeymoon."

As the shock of his offer begins to fade, I smile up at him and nod.  "Alright.  You have yourself a deal.  I'll go play for Team USA in the World Cup, and you will accompany me as my new husband."

Eren's smile is breathtaking as he leans in to seal the deal with a deep kiss.  Without breaking the kiss, I stand from the barstool and pull his body flush against mine.

Isabel clears her throat and stands.  Only then do I break off the kiss and look over at Isabel.  "Thank you for finally giving me an answer, Levi," she says.  "I'll just leave you two alone then to consummate your... whatever this is."

I nod and she heads for the elevator, but not before offering us a wink and a "Congratulations".  As soon as she disappears behind the doors, I pull Eren back into a searing kiss, leading him towards the bedroom to consummate our whatever this is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like it's starting to wind down now. The only plot points I have left are the ones that I've already brought up that need to be resolved, like Eren's trial and the wedding and the World Cup. I can't say for sure how many more chapters, but probably only a handful. I don't think this fic will reach the 40s on chapters.
> 
> I'm on [Tumblr](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/) and am tracking the tag "fic: fotp" so feel free to stop by and say hi if you want.


	36. Criminal Trial Experiences Mild Setback!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lookie another chapter in a decent amount of time! :D

**Eren**

I decide to spend the night after our decision at the apartment with Mikasa and Armin.  I know that Mikasa will find out about the decision to move our wedding up sooner or later, so I better tell her now myself to avoid getting blown up on.  Besides, it's been a while since I've spent a night at the apartment with my sister and best friend.

When I get back to the apartment, I find Mikasa and Armin sitting together on the couch under a blanket.  I almost feel like I'm intruding on something, but Armin waves me over to sit with them.  I take up a seat on one of the other couches.

The two of them have been official now for a while, but they're both very private people and tend to avoid public displays of affection, so sometimes I forget how much their relationship has advanced.  But they have moved into the same room together, giving me a room of my own.  I have no complaints about that.  It means Levi can spend the night here now that I'm not sharing a room with Armin.  But honestly I couldn't be happier for them.  They deserve each other.

"So I have something kind of important to tell you guys," I say, deciding to just dive right into it.

"Oh yeah?  There hasn't been any more problems with the press, right?  That conference was a week ago, you'd think that everything would've died down by now," Mikasa says with a frown.

"No, no, it's nothing like that," I reassure her.  "It's good, actually."

"Well, spit it out!" Armin urges with a smile.

"Well, you know how Levi was offered a position on Team USA for the World Cup?"  When they both nod, I tentatively continue.  "Well they needed an answer today, and Levi was still really on the fence about it, so I told him that if he accepted the offer, that we could get married before he had to leave."

Both of their eyes go wide and they look between each other before looking back at me.  "And?!" Mikasa demands.  "What did he say?"

"He agreed.  We're getting married right after the school year ends, right before he has to leave to go to Europe," I tell them.

"Oh my god congrats!" Armin says, jumping off the couch to give me a hug.  He's joined quickly by Mikasa.

"Have you picked a date yet?  A location?  Wow, the end of the semester isn't very far away, Eren, are you sure you'll be able to get everything arranged before then?" Mikasa hounds.  She doesn't even give me time to answer any of those questions before she's already continuing on her monologue.  "I supposed Levi's fame will get you into pretty much any location on such short notice, as well as other things such as a photographer and a caterer and such.  Boy it's a good thing you fell in love with a famous person, because you guys are really cutting it close.  Although-"

"Mikasa!" I cut her off with a laugh.  "We haven't picked a date or a location yet.  We just made this decision today.  But don't worry about it.  Isabel is way ahead of you.  She's already left Levi a long voicemail on everything he needs to plan and get done as well as a list of deadlines.  Trust in her to have everything ready to go for us when the time comes.  Besides, it's not like we're having this huge ceremony or anything.  It's going to be small, just close family and friends.  Levi doesn't want a lot of attention."

"Okay, okay, whatever you say.  Do you think Isabel would let me help with the preparations though?" she asks.

"I'm sure she'd love the help," I assure her.  "Remind me later to get you her number."

She smiles and pulls me into a hug.  The both of them return back to their couch, pulling the blanket back around the both of them.

"But right now I have other, more pressing matters to think about," I frown, sinking down into the couch.

"You mean more pressing than a wedding that needs to happen in just about two and a half months that neither of you have planned a single thing for?" Mikasa questions with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes.  Like the trial that's coming up this week," I respond.  "I'm meeting with the ADA who's prosecuting my case tomorrow after classes to go over my testimony, and to be completely honest, I'm really nervous."

"It'll be fine, Eren," Armin promises me.  "It's not like it's the real trial.  He's just going to tell you what to expect when you get there, right?  It'll be nobody else except you and the prosecutor.  It's the actual trial you should be nervous for.  I bet that's going to be totally nerve wracking."

"Thanks, Armin, you're a huge help," I mutter sarcastically.

He just smiles with a shrug and leans into Mikasa.  "You'll be fine, Eren.  There's nothing to worry about."

...

Just as Armin promises, the meeting with the prosecutor goes over smoothly.  He simply brought me into the courtroom, showed me where everything and everyone will be, gave a quick run through of the procedure for swearing me in as a witness, and gave me a brief summary of the types of questions he'd ask me.  He also warned me of some of the questions I might receive from the defendants' lawyers.  Overall, it went pretty well.

He also informed me what time to be at court.  The official trial starts Thursday, but he said the first day will be simply opening statements and the presenting of witness lists and evidence exhibits that will be used in court, and that I won't be called up to testify until Friday.  He assured me that he managed to convince the judge to schedule afternoon sessions so that I wouldn't have to miss any classes.

He assured me that this case would be a very easy case to try.  I guess all the evidence is pretty undeniable, and with my testimony, the trial shouldn't last more than a week.

And as promised, the first day goes by without a hitch.  I sit in the galley on the prosecution side, Levi, Mikasa, and Armin sitting with me, and we listen to both sides present their case to the jury.  We listen to the opening statements and the witness lists, and in all honesty it's rather boring.  I find, by the close of court on that first day, that I'm actually kind of looking forward to getting up on the witness stand to give my statement.  At least that will be a lot more interesting than sitting in the galley listening to boring men use big words that I don't really understand.

But of course nothing is ever as easy as it should be.

The shrill of my alarm wakes me for my early morning class Friday, and I groan as I fumble for my phone, eager to get the ringing to stop.  But the cessation of the phone's ringing does nothing to stop the ringing in my head.  I force my eyes open, but then snap them back closed at the persistent pain in the back of my head.  Oh great.  How is it that my headaches seem to know EXACTLY when the worst time to occur is?

Deciding that I should probably forego my classes today and stay in bed to rest, I climb out of bed to hunt for some pain medication safe for me to take, then crawl back under the covers.  Armin and Mikasa have classes earlier than me on Fridays, so they're probably already gone and won't come knocking to try and wake me up for my classes.  Hopefully if I can fall back asleep, the headache will ride itself out and I'll be good to go by three o'clock when I have to be in court.

...

When I next regain consciousness, it's to the most searing pain I've ever felt in my life.  I am literally startled awake with a gasp, the pain so intense I have to wonder how it is my head hasn't cracked open yet, because it feels like someone is driving an ice pick straight into my scull.  The faint LED lights on my bedside clock are like the sun, and I cringe at their brightness.  I can hear the TV on in the front room, and although it's merely a faint murmur through the walls, the sound is thunder in my ears.

The pain is so incredible I almost can't breathe, and a whimper involuntarily scrapes past my dry throat.  I bury my face in the pillows and fist my hands in my hair, as if that would make the pain go away.  How can any one person feel so much pain?  How is it possible?  It shouldn't be.  This much pain all at once feels like it should be lethal.

A cry leaves my lips again as I curl in on myself.  Oh my god how do I make it stop?  Please, someone just make it stop.  Tears are leaving warm trails down my cheeks and nose.  The throbbing in my head is like a jackhammer.  It feels like my head is about to explode any minute now.

"Eren?" I hear Mikasa's voice from in the front room.  "What are you still doing here?  Don't you have court soon?"

"Mi-" I try to call out, but my voice cracks.  I swallow hard against the pain and try again.  "Mikasa."

My voice is hoarse and quiet, but either Mikasa heard it or she was already heading for my room, because the door opens to the blinding light of a million suns.  She enters the room and I can hear her gasp, her hurried footsteps bringing her to my bed.

"Eren, what's wrong?" she pleads desperately, and her voice lances through my skull and rips another cry from me.

She doesn't wait for an answer.  She doesn't have to.  I hear her snatch my phone off of the nightstand and then she's shouting at someone on the other end of the line.

"My brother is having a migraine, he's in so much pain I don't know what to do, please send help," I hear her cry into the phone and for the love of god could she do that somewhere else?  The pitch of her voice is sending sharp waves of pain through my skull.  "Yes, he has hemophilia and he gets migraines from lack of bloodflow, just please send help, I've never seen it this bad before!"

The pain is just too much, and I start to feel a heaviness pull at the corners of my consciousness.  Yes, please please drag me under.  I don't want to feel this pain anymore.  I don't know how much I can take anymore.

Mikasa profusely thanks whoever she's on the phone with and then there's a long, wonderful silence before her voice splits it again.

"Oh my god Levi!" Mikasa cries, and her voice hitches.  "It's Eren...."

Levi?  She's talking to Levi?  The simple name almost drives off the threat of unconsciousness, but I'm already too far gone.  The heaviness has engulfed my entire body and I don't hear any more of Mikasa's conversation with him before the blackness completely consumes me.

 

**Levi**

I arrive to the courthouse with barely a minute to spare, on account of Isabel's insistence that I get some wedding plans done before I leave.  I swear that woman is starting to drive me crazy with all this wedding stuff.  I'm one more "Come on Levi I need a decision" away from snatching up Eren and flying us to Vegas so we can elope.

Guilt is threatening to eat at me as I jog down the hallway towards the assigned courtroom.  Eren has probably been sitting outside all by himself, anxiously waiting to be called in to testify, and I had promised I'd be there for him.

But when I round the corner, I see a handful of people out front of the courtroom doors, but none of them are Eren.  Did he already get called in?  I hurriedly sneak inside, as quietly as I can.  To my surprise, Eren isn't on the witness stand, and a quick scan of the benches reveals that he's not in the galley either.  Did he get nervous and back out?

The opening of the door has nearly every head in the courtroom turning to look at me.  The prosecutor trying the case quickly pushes through the waist tall gate-of-sorts separating the galley from the proceedings.

"One moment, Your Honor," he calls back to the judge.  "This is Mr. Jaeger's fiancé, perhaps he knows where Mr. Jaeger is."  My heart is beating hard in my chest already as the man approaches me, a look of worry in his eyes.  "You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?"

"I thought he was here," I answer quickly.  "I haven't seen him since last night."

"You don't think he backed out on testifying, do you?" he asks.  "I talked to him yesterday after court and he seemed so confident and determined."

"I agree," I frown.  "Hold on, I'll try giving him a call."

He nods and I quickly reach into my pocket for my cell, almost every eye in the courtroom on me.  But before I can even remove the phone from my pocket, it starts to ring.  A glance at the screen shows that it's Eren calling.  I breathe out a sigh of relief, quickly showing the prosecutor the caller ID before answering the call and putting the phone to my ear.

"Eren, where-" I start to ask, but am quickly cut off.

 _"Oh my god Levi!"_   It's Mikasa's voice, and she's hysterical.  I can hear Eren's cries of pain in the background.  My breath catches as fear turns my blood to ice nearly instantaneously.  _"It's Eren....  He's having a migraine but it's worse than I've ever seen before.  He's in so much pain, I don't know what to do!"_

My eyes flash up to the prosecutor's, and it's obvious that he sees my fear.  "Mikasa you need to call an ambulance.  I'm on my way right now," I tell her as I hurry towards the doors of the courtroom.  That would be all anyone needs to hear to know that Eren won't be coming into court.

My heart is pounding in my throat as I sprint down the halls towards the exit.  I get odd looks from the court marshals, but they are the last thing on my mind right now.  I need to get to Eren.  That's all that matters.

 _"I already did and they're on their way,"_ she tells me, her voice hiccupping.  Past the sounds of her hysterical crying, I can hear Eren's crying fade until it's gone.  _"I think he just passed out.  Please just get here soon."_

"I'm on my way," I assure her again.  My whole body feels numb and my fear threatens to paralyze me at the same time the adrenaline pushes me faster down the sidewalk to my car.  I don't know what else to say to her.  I can't barely think.  "I'll be there soon, I promise.  Just keep an eye on him for me okay?  Make sure..."  Make sure what?  What is there to do for someone in Eren's situation?  It's no wonder she's hysterical.  I probably would be too.  "Just make sure he's okay until the ambulance gets there.  And stay on the phone, okay?"

There's no answer, but I she doesn't hang up.  When I reach my car, I put the call on speakerphone and toss the cell onto my dash.  I can hear her talking to Eren, murmuring things to him past her tears as I race down the street.  It feels like an eternity, but in reality isn't probably very long before I hear the faint sound of sirens echoing from my phone.

"Mikasa?" I start to question, but she beats me to it.

 _"That's the ambulance!"_ she says in relief.

There's a lot of background noise, the door slamming, men talking to each other and to Mikasa, and Mikasa's frantic narration of what's happening.

"Mikasa?" I call to her, trying desperately to keep a level head.  "Mikasa, tell them to take him to Trost General.  They need to take him to Hanji.  I'm just around the corner from your apartment, I'll pick you up and we'll go there with him, okay?"

 _"Y-Yes, okay,"_ she stutters, and then I hear her relaying my message to the EMTs.

I'm just pulling onto the street Eren's complex is on when an ambulance races past me.  That must be the one Eren is in.  I keep going though, and in front of Eren's complex, I find Mikasa pacing worriedly on the sidewalk.  I pull up in front of her and she quickly dives in.  Turning the car around, I chase after the ambulance.

Mikasa is still crying in the passenger's seat, and neither of us say a single word.  We can both sense each other's worry though, and it's enough to nearly drive me crazy.  How bad is this?  Is Eren going to be alright?  Why wasn't I there with him when he needed me?  Not that there's anything I could've done to ease his pain, but I could've held him and comforted him until the ambulance arrived.  At least he had Mikasa there with him, first of all to notice that something was wrong and call for help, but also to be there for him.

"He's going to be okay," I say, my voice barely above a whisper.  The sentiment is just as much for my own reassurance as it is for Mikasa's.

"I know," she murmurs in response.  "It's just....  You didn't see him, Levi.  You know Eren, he's always so strong and determined not to let anything get to him.  Even when he's hurting, he's constantly trying so hard not to let anyone know.  It's like he doesn't want to bother people with his pain.  But when I heard him cry out like that...?  And then to see him laying there, obviously in so much pain....  He was crying and screaming and...."

She brings her hands up to cover her face as she trails off with a sniffle.  My grip is tight on the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white.  I know exactly what she's talking about.  Eren is so strong and stubborn about not bothering people when he's in trouble or hurting.  He always tries to keep things hidden and bottled up inside him.  I can still hear his cries in my mind.  They play over and over again.  How much pain must he have been in?  I'm not sure I want to know.

We make it to the hospital just after the ambulance and the two of us race inside.  We see Armin waiting impatiently in the reception room, watching as Eren's gurney disappears down the hall.  But when he sees us, he immediately waves for us to follow him and takes off down the hall.

My heart is still racing against my ribcage as the three of us hurry down the hall after Eren.  I see Hanji up ahead, hurrying towards Eren's room from the opposite direction we were coming from.  The EMTs must've called ahead to have the hospital alert Hanji that Eren was on his way.

Armin has us the three of us wait outside as Hanji and the EMTs get Eren situated in the crowded room.  I hover by the window, watching Eren as Hanji slips an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth, then hooks him up to an IV.  Eren is still out, and I find that I'm grateful.  At least this way he's not feeling any pain.  I watch his sleeping face, noting how relaxed he looks.  I wish I was beside him so I could touch his cheeks, brush the hair from his eyes, press a kiss to his forehead....

The EMTs don't stick around for long, and as they leave, Hanji waves for us to join her in the room.  The three of us hurry in and I make a beeline for Eren's side.

"He's going to be okay, right?" I ask Hanji.

"He'll be fine.  I gave him some strong sedatives to keep him out a little while longer while the migraine abates.  Now there's nothing to do but wait.  These types of headaches are normal, unfortunately this one was on the more severe end of the spectrum.  But now that he's here and he's on oxygen, there shouldn't be any complications.  I would like to run a transfusion though, he's due for one soon anyway.  Seeing as his situation doesn't qualify as an emergency, it would take a while to get the order approved.  However, if one of you can do direct donation, that would save a lot of time and trouble.  Armin can't because he's employed by the hospital, so he can't give blood to a patient.  But one of you two...?" she questions, looking between me and Mikasa.

Mikasa shakes her head, looking down at Eren.  "Eren can't receive my blood.  Our blood types aren't compatible.  We figured that out a long time ago."

Hanji looks to me.  "What about you?  Eren is type A positive, what is yours?"

"I'm O negative," I respond.

"Perfect, universal donor.  Come with me," she says, heading from the room.

As reluctant as I am to leave Eren's side now that I'm finally with him again, I know this is to help Eren, so I press a quick kiss to his forehead before following Hanji from the room.  She doesn't take me far, just down the hall to what appears to be a normal checkup room.

"I'm going to have to run a few tests first just to make sure you don't have anything that can be transmitted to him through your blood," she tells me, gesturing for me to hop up onto the exam table.

"Well we are sexually active," I remind her.  "With each other.  Most of the time without a condom.  I'm not saying I have anything that he could catch, but wouldn't he have it already if there was?"

"Not necessarily.  Although STDs make up a lot of the diseases that can also be transfusion-transmitted, there are other things to worry about too," she replies.

"Well I had a full physical and medical checkup not even four days ago," I tell her.  "I needed one in order to play for Team USA.  They took blood and everything.  And I had it done at this hospital.  Do you think I would've been tested for those things then?"

She frowns, then turns to the computer on the desk and starts to pull up some records.  "Let's see... Ackerman, Ackerman, Ackerman....  Ah!  Here you are.  Let's see, they did test you for STDs- you have none by the way," she adds, "and it looks like they ran a whole battery of tests.  Including blood type- you are in fact O negative- and... everything else I needed to know.  Perfect.  Looks like you're cleared to give blood.  So let's get to it."

I nod, relieved that she doesn't have to run any tests.  The sooner she can take my blood, the sooner I can get back to Eren's side and be there with him when he wakes up.

"Luckily Eren doesn't need a lot, just enough to introduce some clotting factors into his system.  One unit should be just fine.  I might go a little bit heavy though, just in case, if you're alright with that," she says.

"Just take what you need," I tell her, laying back on the table as she readies the needle, tubes, and small bag.

It doesn't take long for her to finish collecting my blood.  When she does I feel really light-headed, and she tells me to just lay there for a few minutes until I feel okay enough to get up.  She grabs me a Gatorade and granola bar from a vending machine, then leaves me alone to go hook the bag up to Eren.  I'd rather not wait here while Eren is down the hall, probably about to wake up at any minute now, but unfortunately I don't feel like I'd be able to stand up without falling over.  I listen to the tick of the clock, staring up at the ceiling, worrying about Eren as the dizziness and light-headedness start to fade.

When I finally feel okay to stand, I climb off the table and leave the room, hurrying down the hall towards Eren's room.  When I get there, Hanji is still there, adjusting the oxygen mask on his face.  Mikasa and Armin are sitting in chairs against the wall, watching Hanji work.  I enter the room as Hanji is pulling off the oxygen mask and replacing it with a thin tube that loops over his ears and underneath his nose.

"The drugs are starting to wear off," she tells us.  "He should be awake soon."

Sure enough, as I approach Eren's side, I can see that he no longer looks relaxed like he did earlier.  His brow is furrowed slightly and a frown is starting to pull at his lips.  I take his hand in mine and give it a soft squeeze.

It's only a minute or two later when his eyes flutter open.  He cringes against the light, his eyes snapping back shut, and Armin immediately jumps up to dim them.  When his eyes ease open again, he looks around for a moment before they fall on me.  I offer him a small smile and squeeze his hand.

"How are you feeling?" I ask him, trying to keep my voice soft.

"My head hurts," he whispers, almost too quietly for me to hear.  Mikasa and Armin move a little closer.  "What happened?"

"You had a migraine dear.  You're in the hospital," Hanji tells him.

"The hospital?" he questions in confusion, obviously trying to remember what had happened.  Suddenly he gasps and shoots upright in bed with a shouted, "The trial!"

He hisses in pain, bringing a hand up to his head as I come out of my surprise and gently ease him back onto the bed.  "Don't worry about the trial right now, love," I say, trying to comfort him.  "I was with the prosecutor at the courthouse when Mikasa called me to tell he what was happening.  I'll give him a call to let him know you're alright, and I'm sure he'll be able to work something out so you can testify on a later day."

This doesn't appear to ease his worry, but he nods and relaxes back into the pillows.  We all take up seats beside his bed as Hanji leaves to make her rounds.  We all talk with Eren, trying to keep our tones and topics upbeat to hopefully cheer him up.  He hardly contributes more than a handful of words to the conversation the entire time, which is very unlike him.  I tell him about some of the preparations Isabel has made so far for the wedding and that seems to please him a little.  But for the most part he reminds detached and almost uninterested, his eyes blank as if he's daydreaming.  This is very unlike him and it starts to worry me.  I can tell Mikasa is worried too.  Armin has a calculating frown on his face, and I have a feeling he's trying to figure out why Eren's attitude has changed so drastically.

When he looks up from Eren, I catch his eyes and gesture discretely for him to come with me outside.  He nods and we both stand.  As I turn to leave, something snags the hem of my shirt and I look down to see Eren's hand holding me there.

"Don't leave," he asks of me in a tone showing more emotion than he has shown all night.

"I'll only be gone for a minute, and then I'll come right back," I promise him, leaning in to press a kiss to his forehead.  "You won't even have time to miss me."

He releases me and as I leave his room I hear him mutter, "That's a lie."

Once Armin and I step out of the room, closing the door behind us, I turn to him.  "I know you've noticed that Eren isn't quite himself.  Do you know why?"

He frowns and glances back into the room at Eren, laying in the bed and holding Mikasa's hand.  Mikasa is talking to him, but it appears to be a one-sided conversation.  "The only thing I can think of is that the decreased blood flow caused some form of mild brain damage that's lead to decreased cognition.  Sort of like the brain damage you see in patients that have suffered a stroke or some form of head trauma, except not nearly to that extent.  The brain needs a constant flow of oxygen in order to function correctly- which is why Eren passed out- and the decrease of oxygen flow, even for only a short time, might've caused a slight glitch in a few of his cognitive processes."

"Armin, you're really starting to scare me with all this talk of brain damage."

"I don't think you should be scared.  I'm not even sure I'm right, but if I am, side effects like the ones Eren is experiencing now are- in a vast majority of cases- temporary.  They'll fade in a matter of time, and he'll be right back to the way he was before," he tells me.  He looks back into the room and smiles.  "See?  He's already starting to get better."

"He's right," Hanji says as I look back into the room to see Eren giggling at something Mikasa must've said.  "I missed the beginning of the conversation, but if Armin is talking about the possibility of brain damage due to oxygen deprivation, then he's absolutely right.  Eren didn't experience enough deprivation to suffer any serious damage or long term side effects.  I'll go in and check up on him, but what Armin is diagnosing is entirely possible, and if it is the case, then he's right about the side effects being short term.  I'll hold him overnight for observation, and by the time he leaves tomorrow morning, all the symptoms should be gone and he'll be right back to talking everyone's ears off with his animated stories."

"Sounds like someone else we all know," I mutter, and Armin snorts as Hanji sticks her tongue out at me.

We both follow her into the room, but despite our continued joking, I have to say that her words genuinely comforted me, and I have faith that what she and Armin told me is true.  I have faith that Eren will make a full recovery and will be back to his old self- the one I love and adore with my entire existence- in no time at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some pretty big liberties with the medical stuff in this chapter heh.... It had been a while since Eren had experienced any severe complications from his disease, and someone once mentioned Levi giving blood to Eren and I had a dire need for that too. So don't take any of this medical jargon too seriously


	37. The Verdict Is In!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I rushed to upload this chapter when I had been planning on updating Saturday because my computer just broke. It was the housing, so it's not like it crashed and I lost anything (pheww) but I still have to take it in tomorrow and idk when I'm getting it back. I'm also leaving for Canada on Monday so it was now or never.

**Eren**

"Mr. Barba, you may call your next witness," the judge instructs and the prosecutor stands.

"I call Mr. Eren Jeager to the stand," he declares.

Levi releases my hand from where he had been holding it loosely between us, our fingers intertwined.  I stand and wince slightly at the faint pounding in my head.  It has been three whole days since I was released from the hospital, but I still have the remnants of a headache that _won't go away_.  Hanji said this is normal, that I should just give it a couple of days for the headache to fade.  But it _has_ been a couple of days and it still hurts every time I walk outside, or hear a loud noise, or even stand too quickly.  Levi is worried, of course, and has me doped up on pain medication.  It's working, but the judge's banging of the gavel calling the court to order earlier did not help matters at all.

I leave the galley and make my way towards the witness stand, stopping only for a moment to be sworn in by a court marshal.  Once that's taken care of, I take my seat and prepare myself for the questions that are about to begin.

"Good evening, Mr. Jaeger," Mr. Barba says as he gets some papers in order at his table.  Then he looks up at me with a small smile.  "How are you feeling today."

"Fine, thank you," I tell him.

"That's good to hear," he says.  "You were supposed to testify on Friday, is that correct?"

"Yes," I answer, leaving my answer at that.  He told me that I should always answer questions with a simple 'yes' or 'no' unless I'm asked to elaborate or explain something.  And even in that case I should keep my answers a simple as possible so not to throw off his line of questioning, or to supply the defense with any extra ammunition to use against me.

"Can you explain to the court why it was your testimony had to be delayed until today?"

"Friday afternoon I was rushed to the hospital due to... a complication with my illness," I answer.

"If the jury can recall, Friday afternoon Mr. Jaeger's fiancé, Mr. Ackerman, received a call from Mr. Jaeger's sister saying that he was being taken to the hospital," Mr. Barba reminds the jury.  Levi did tell me a little about that after I got home from the hospital on Saturday.  He explained to me what had happened in court before he had left to come see me.  Then Mr. Barba turns back to me.  "Mr. Jaeger, if you could, please explain what your illness is to the jury."

"Objection," the defense lawyer says, standing.  "Relevance?"

"Mr. Jaeger's medical condition is a major factor in this case, Your Honor," Mr. Barba quickly explains.  "The court should hear from Mr. Jaeger himself what the illness is and it's serious effect on his health, especially after his absence Friday due solely to said illness."

"Overruled," the judge agrees.  "You may answer the question, Mr. Jaeger."

I nod and turn my attention to the jury.  "I have a blood disease called hemophilia.  It's a defect that causes a drastic decrease of the production of clotting factors in blood.  In my case, I produce almost no factors.  This means that if I'm cut, or I start to bleed, I suffer the risk of bleeding out depending on the severity.  My blood cannot clot on its own.  Other symptoms include spontaneous bruising, aching joints, spontaneous fatigue, and prolonged migraines, to list a few.  Friday afternoon, it was one of these migraines that had me hospitalized.  Even today my head is still a little... fuzzy."

"Thank you Mr. Jaeger," Mr. Barba says, glancing down at his papers.  "Now, on the afternoon of Thursday, January... eighteenth, at five twenty-two in the afternoon, Trost Police Dispatch received a 9-1-1 call from your cell phone.  Do you recall the events leading up to that phone call?"

"Yes," I answer simply.  We prepared for this.  He'll ask me to elaborate with specific, strategic questions.

"Did you say anything to the dispatcher that answered your call?  Did you tell her anything?"

"No, I don't believe I did," I answer.  Honestly, I'm still a little fuzzy on everything that happened.  I know _what_ happened, and I can remember the actual attack with great clarity, but the part where I'm stabbed, and then falling in the snow, and calling 9-1-1... I don't remember it as well as I feel like I should.

"The recording of Mr. Jaeger's 9-1-1 call shows silence on Mr. Jaeger's end of the line.  But thankfully, the dispatcher had asked a nearby patrol car to drive by, and that officer, who will be testifying later, in turn called an ambulance to have Mr. Jaeger rushed to the hospital," Mr. Barba explains to the jury.  "Mr. Jaeger, can you tell the jury what prompted you to dial 9-1-1?  What was your emergency?"

"I had been stabbed in the stomach," I answer, pointing to the spot on the left side of my stomach.  There is still a scar, and it'll probably be there forever, unfortunately.  "And as a result of my condition, I was bleeding even more heavily than normal for someone who had been stabbed."

"The People's exhibit twelve, Your Honor," Mr. Barba says, selecting a large, thin sheet of poster board from his table.  He walks over and places it on a stand for the court to see.  "This is a photograph taken by the responding paramedics of the stab wound to Mr. Jaeger's side.  And this, People's exhibit thirteen, is the switchblade found at the scene."  He lifts a baggy labeled 'evidence' in bold letters from his desk and holds it up to show the jury.  The blade is still opened and covered in blood.  My blood.  "Forensics matched the blade to the dimensions of Mr. Jaeger's wounds.  Forensics also matched the blood on the blade to Mr. Jaeger using DNA, the match doubly confirmed by the fact that the blood sample on the blade contained no clotting factors.  In the forensic report, People's exhibit twenty-eight," he hesitates, picking up a thin packet of papers and flipping the page he wants, "the medical examiner who ran the blood tests remarked that she was 'stunned that this victim survived the attack'.  People's exhibit twenty-nine is a sworn affidavit from the head surgeon that operated on Mr. Jaeger when he was brought into the hospital.  It details every aspect of the surgery and Mr. Jaeger's prognosis.  She declared, and I quote, 'The patient exhibited a severely high level of blood lost.  Whereas a normal, adult human being of the patient's size and weight can lose approximately two point two four liters of blood before their body ceases to function, Mr. Jaeger lost nearly two point four liters before we could begin administering a transfusion.  In reality, he should not have survived the surgery'."

Well fuck me.  No one ever told me that.  I guess I really am as lucky as everyone said.  When I look up at Levi in the galley, he's looking down at his lap.  I know we weren't together at the time of the attack, but I know how much he had still cared about me, and it must not have been easy for him to go through this at the time.  It's obviously still not easy for him to hear how close I was to dying.

A look at the jury shows that they're just as surprised as I am.  I'm sure that's what Mr. Barba's goal is.  He's trying to shock them with all these medical facts that show how close this was to being a murder trial.

"Now, Mr. Jaeger, can you please describe to the court the events that lead up to your stabbing, and the near loss of your life."

"I had been walking home from school.  My class had let out at five.  I had just reached the intersection where I cross the street to head to my apartment, and I got an uneasy feeling.  When I looked back down the sidewalk, I saw three men approaching the intersection.  They were looking at me, and like I said, I had an uneasy feeling, so I turned around to head away from the intersection and them.  One of them called after me, telling me to wait.  Up until this point I had been receiving a lot of harassment over my relationship with Mr. Ackerman.  I had a feeling that's what these men wanted to do, and I just wanted to get away from them.  I ignored the call and kept walking.  I heard them following after me, and when I looked back, I saw they were running towards me.  I started running too, but they caught up to me."  I pause to take a breath and chance a glance over at the defendant's table where the three of them are seated.  One is glaring at me, another looking down at his hands on the table, and the third looking away from me, a guilty look on his face.  "One of them grabbed my arm and I spun around and tried to punch him.  I missed though and he said... something about 'this faggot having some bite'.  Then he punched me in the stomach.  When I fell, one of them kicked me in the face.  I could feel blood in my mouth and I started to get scared.  I knew I needed to go to the hospital.  After that, it was kind of a blur.  They were attacking me, and I tried to fight back, to fight them off.  They were shouting things at me, and then I felt a, uh... a really sharp pain in my side.  I looked down to see that I had been stabbed.  That's when all three of them ran off and I fell back down.  I remember finding my phone to call 9-1-1, but I don't actually remember dialing it.  And then I passed out."

"Do you remember the things that they were shouting at you while they were attacking you?" Mr. Barba asks.

"Yeah, they were calling me a 'faggot', and a 'disgusting whore'.  They were telling me that it was my fault that Mr. Ackerman was gay, that I must've corrupted him or tricked him."

Levi isn't looking at his lap anymore, I note when I glance in his direction.  But he looks absolutely pissed.  His thin brows are drawn down, and his lips are pressed tight in a sharp frown.  His glare is boring into the back of the defendants' heads and I have this fleeting thought that if he got up and bashed their faces in- which it looks like he's on the verge of doing- that it'd be oddly satisfying.

"So it's your opinion, based on what you experienced and are testifying to today, that these men targeted and attacked you because you were in a homosexual relationship with a well known celebrity figure?"

I nod.  "Yes I do.  I had never been picked on or bullied before it got leaked that I was in a relationship with Levi Ackerman.  I think people were upset that their idol turned out to be gay, and they blamed me for that."

"Objection," the defense's lawyer calls again.  "Mr. Jaeger can't presume to know what was in my clients' heads."

I can't stop myself as a retort bursts from me, driven by anger brought about from having to describe in detail the entire attack.  I remember the anger I felt then and it's coursing through me now.  "Yes I can because it wasn't in their heads!  It was coming out of their fuc- of their mouths.  You want to know what their exact words were?  Because I remember them clear as day.  They told me that 'faggots don't belong in the MLS' which tells me that they were upset that their precious idol turned out to be gay.  They also screamed at me that 'you've corrupted him' and 'you've ruined him', which tells me that they blame me.  Oh yes, and that the last thing I heard before I was fucking stabbed was 'this is all your fault'.  So don't tell me that I can't presume what was in their heads.  I know exactly what was in their heads because they fucking told me."

The judge bangs his gavel, causing me to sit back in my chair with a wince.  "Mr. Barba, please control your witness.  But the motion is overruled, and Mr. Jaeger's statements are allowed."

A smile pulls at Mr. Barba's lips.  "I only have one more question for this witness," he declares.  "Mr. Jaeger, do you see the men that attacked you in this courtroom today?"

"Yes.  Those three, sitting at the defendant's table," I say, pointing to the three of them.  Even the one that had been glaring earlier has now ducked his gaze.

"Thank you.  That will be all."

"The defense may begin it's questioning of the witness," the judge declares as Mr. Barba takes his seat.

The questioning by the defense is very brief.  They can't refute the evidence, and after everything I just said, they have a hard case to press.  Most of the lawyer's questions are very vague and trying to establish that in the heat of the moment, I couldn't have properly seen my attackers' faces, at least not well enough to identify them.  But he can't refute the fingerprint match on the knife that had my blood all over it, or that the man it belonged to immediately ratted out the other two.  And Mr. Barba even assured me last week during our preparation that my ID of the defendants would be solid, that he doesn't believe the defense could sway the jury into thinking it was a bad ID.

Just like Mr. Barba's questioning, the defense's questioning doesn't last very long.  Once he finishes asking his stupid questions, the judge thanks me and instructs me to step down.  I leave the witness stand and make my way back into the galley, taking a seat by Levi.

He must see the furrow in my brow, because he reaches into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and pulls out his sunglasses and hands them to me.  I quickly slip them on and they do a fantastic job of dulling the bright overhead lights that were _just_ bright enough to prickle at my lingering and extremely sensitive headache.  He rests his hand on my thigh and I lay mine over top of his, curling my fingers between his.  He's still tense, and I realize then that that's the first time he's ever heard in detail what happened to me that night.  He's only ever heard vague, basic facts about what happened.  Not only that but he and I both were surprised to hear about how much blood I had lost, and how shocked all these medical people are that I'm even alive.  It makes a shudder run up my spine at just the thought.  And to be completely honest I think I'd feel even worse if mine and Levi's positions were reversed and I had to think about _him_ almost dying.  So I guess I can understand how he's feeling.

After another couple of boring hours and a few more witnesses, the judge calls for the end of the session today.  And that's how it goes for the next four days.  And Friday afternoon, after closing statements, and the jury leaving to deliberate on their decision for about an hour, they come back with a guilty verdict on all counts.  And with the charged trumped up to hate crimes, their sentences will be much greater.  I'm relieved with the verdict, but honestly Mr. Barba had seemed so confident in this result that I had been expecting it.  I would've been much more surprised if they came back with a verdict of not guilty.  But I guess, after having watched the entire court trial, Mr. Barba's confidence is understandable.  The defense didn't really have a case at all.  The evidence against them was just too great.

Levi and I are a little slow to leave the courthouse.  I saw all those press vans and reporters when we got here.  They knew that today was the last day of trial, and that the verdict would be delivered.  Now they're out there waiting to attack us with questions.  At least my headache is gone now and I'll be able to handle the screamed questions and flashes of the cameras.

Mr. Barba leads us out and when the press swarms us, he takes over answering the questions, to my great relief.  After a few questions, Levi takes my hand and we manage to sneak away and back to his car without too much more trouble.  As we leave the parking lot, I look in the side mirror to see the courthouse shrinking behind us.  With a sigh, I slouch down in my seat a little and turn my attention back on the road in front of us.

"Thank fuck that's over with."

...

I didn't realize how much negativity had been weighing us down for so long until after the trial ended.  In the weeks that followed the verdict, I go through my routine with this really light, awkward feeling in my chest.  At first I can't name it.  School goes by so easily, flowing through week after week.  My shifts at the coffee shop even seem easier.  And with two fantastic results at two back to back art shows, and many paintings sold, I have enough money put away that I am able to reduce my hours at the shop down to the bare minimum, leaving plenty of time for me to focus more on my art.  Especially since art galleries all over the state are starting to contact me about hanging my work.  Levi keeps telling me that I should just quit altogether, considering how much money he gave me from that settlement with the newspaper, and also his insistence that he has more than enough money to support me.  But I like working for my living, and not being completely reliant on Levi.  So I keep a few hours at the coffee shop.

But all in all life seems so... easy, and at first it bothers me that I can't figure out what changed or why it changed.  Not that I'm complaining, not even in the slightest.  It's a nice change for once.  And with that thought, it finally clicked in my head that that had been the change.  It started with Levi being outed in the papers all that time ago, and ever since then, it's been thing after thing, problem after problem that we've had to deal with.  It's been so long since we've been able to sit back and relax.  Now with the trial done, and that huge lawsuit still fresh in the minds of all newspaper companies, there's nothing left for us to fear.  My attack is finally behind me, and no newspaper would dare publish an article about Levi or I that wasn't about the trial or Levi's recent MLS Cup win.

The only things ahead of us now are positive.  Levi is up to his elbows in wedding planning with Isabel and Mikasa, something I'm more than comfortable to hand complete control of over to him.  He tries to rope me into it, saying I should be involved, but I see right through him.  He just wants to pawn Isabel and Mikasa off onto me so that he can scrub his hands of it.  But there's no way I'm going to let that happen.  Besides, what Levi wants is exactly what I want.  We've already figured that much out.  He wants something small, only immediate friends and family.  He doesn't want this to end up in the news or on the papers.  He wants it to be simple and, as he puts it "boring to the press".  And that's fine by me.  We've already made up the guest list and distributed invitations.  I invited all my close friends and my parents.  Both of my parents are single children, and none of my grandparents are still alive, so the family invitees are pretty small.  Levi invited the entire team, plus Petra and obviously Isabel.  But he makes no mention of any family.  I remember everything he told me about his family, how he never knew his father and his mother died young.  I remember him telling me that he lived with an uncle for a little while, but that he was scum, so it's understandable why he's not receiving an invitation.  And after that it was foster parents, none of which kept him.  He does end up adding Petra's parents to the list though, and it makes me happy to know that at least Levi had _someone_ growing up that cared about him enough that Levi would invite them to his wedding.

Other than wedding plans, Levi also has the World Cup to prepare for.  The head coach for Team USA sent Erwin a training regiment for Levi to follow, so the two of them, plus Mike who qualified for a position as backup goalkeeper, go to the stadium four days a week to train.

Two weeks left in the semester, and three weeks before the wedding, I'm sitting at my easel trying to work on my final art project, and trying not to think about how in only two weeks I'll be getting married to Levi.  Sometimes it still surprises me that I'm engaged and will soon be getting married to Levi Ackerman.  I went through high school idolizing the man, and now I love him in more ways than I could ever imagine.  If someone had told high school senior me that I would one day marry my idol, I would've laughed in their faces.  But it's true, and in two weeks, we'll be tying that knot.

I hunch over in my stool and cover my face with my hands- smearing paint from the paintbrush still in held in my fingers across my forehead- as butterflies erupt in my stomach.  Fuck I _almost made it_.  I lasted almost two months without any butterflies or jitters, but now here they are.  I hear a key turn in the lock of the apartment and the door opens, but I don't straighten.  I can't straighten.  My emotions are caught in a tug-of-war between so excited I could scream and so nervous I could puke, and I'm still trying to figure out which one is going to happen.

"Eren?" Levi questions in mild surprise, and he hurries over to my side, a gentle hand resting on the small of my back.  "What's wrong?  Are you alright?"

"Levi, I'm getting married in two weeks," I murmur, my voice muffled by my hands.

He lets out a soft chuckle as he straightens, his touch turning into a caress.  "I know," he says.  "But you know what?  I might be there too, so I will have your back."

"I haven't decided if I'm inviting you yet," I say, my face still pressed into my hands.

He laughs again, easing the paintbrush out of my fist and setting it down on the easel.  "No?"

"Well I didn't see your name on the invite list," I retort.

"Alright," he says with an over exaggerated sigh.  "I guess you're in this on your own."

"No wait!" I shout, leaping off the stool and nearly knocking him to the ground.  I didn't realize how close he was.  But he catches himself and his arms wrap tightly, securely, around my waist.  "Maybe I do want you there after all."

He laughs yet again, picking up my ratty towel and wiping the paint off my forehead.  When he looks into my eyes, it's with more love than I feel is possible for one person to feel.  But I feel the same exact way so obviously, what do I know?

"Then I'll be there.  How about this?  I'll even stand up there at the altar with you.  I'll be with you every step of the way, okay?" he breathes.

"You promise?" I whisper, my voice barely a breath between us.

"I do," he replies.

"Oh my god guys, save it for the wedding," Armin suddenly says, causing me to jump and cling to Levi in surprise.  I totally had no idea he was in the apartment.  I thought I was here all by myself.  He must've snuck in while I was in my artistic trance.

"Sorry," I apologize, separating myself from Levi to rub at the back of my neck.

But Armin is smirking, and he winks at me as he makes his way to the door, dressed in his hospital scrubs.  "I'm just teasing you.  You two are too cute.  See you tonight, Eren.  Maybe you too, Levi.  Try not to get married before I get back."

I snort and roll my eyes as Armin leaves the apartment.  Pressing a quick kiss to Levi's lips, I seat myself back on my stool and take a look at my half finished painting.  Levi comes up behind me to look over the painting as well, but before I can pick up my brush and figure out where to start again, my phone rings in my pocket.

"The universe is plotting against me to not get this project done," I mutter as I fish my phone out of my pocket.  The caller ID reads that it's my mom and I quickly put it to my ear.  "Hi mom!"

 _"Hello baby,"_ she coos.  As the wedding gets closer and closer, she's become more and more gushy over me.  She treats me like I'm still her baby boy, but I don't fight her about it.  It's probably hard for mothers to watch their children grow up and get married.  _"Is this a good time to talk?"_

"Yeah, it's fine.  I'm just working on my art final.  I'm going to put you on speaker phone so I can keep painting, okay?  Levi's here with me," I tell her.  "What's up?"

_"Well, I know that the wedding is only two weeks away, so I'm sure Mikasa and Isabel have almost everything prepared already, and I know they're both doing such a wonderful job, but..."_

She trails off, but I have a very good guess about where she was going with that.  I smile as I finish her sentence for her.  "But you want me to ask Isabel if you can help?" I guess as I clean the brush and dab it into the paint.

 _"I would hate to impose on her planning and organizing, especially since she's done such a good job so far, but it's not every day that you're only child gets married.  And you're my baby and I would like to lend a hand, if it's okay with Isabel,"_ she says.

"I'll ask her, but I'm sure she'll be fine with it," I tell her, adding a few more strokes to the canvas.

"I'll make her be fine with it," Levi adds, loud enough that his voice will be picked up by my phone.

 _"What about your parents, Levi?  Are they helping with the planning?"_ my mom asks, and we both tense.  I feel the way Levi's hands tighten on my waist.  I never told anybody about Levi's past after he divulged it to me.  It wasn't my place, and it was obvious he was very secretive about it.

"No, my parents are both dead," Levi tells her.

_"Oh dear, I'm so sorry Levi."_

"Don't worry about it, Mrs. Jaeger," Levi says with a soft smile on his lips, his hands relaxing on my hips.  "It happened a very long time ago."

 _"Okay dear,"_ she says, but rather than hold that particular subject, she quickly changes it, something I think everyone is grateful for.  _"Thank you both for letting me help.  Please pass on my number to Isabel?  And I'll come to Trost in a couple of days and stay through the wedding so that I can be of more use.  Your father wasn't able to get very long off of work, so he won't be here until three days before the wedding."_

"Okay, I will let Isabel know.  And don't worry about getting a hotel.  I'll clean up my room and you and dad can stay here with Mikasa.  I'll stay with Levi."

_"Okay.  I'll see you in a couple of days then.  I love you baby."_

"Love you too mom."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And any Law&Order SVU fans out there probably recognize that I stole their prosecutor. I just couldn't help it I love Barba so much XO


	38. Star Athlete Ties the Knot!

**Eren**

The shift of the bed rouses me slightly from my sleep.  I crack open an eye and watch Levi stand and stretch.  A glance at the clock on the nightstand reveals that it's just past seven in the morning.  I groan at the time and bury my face in the pillows.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Levi murmurs.  He leans over and presses a kiss to my forehead, his hand stroking softly at my hair.  "I have practice today.  I'll be back at four.  Then we can go out to dinner tonight, our last as unmarried men, hm?"

Oh shit that's right, the wedding is tomorrow.  I hum my agreement into the pillow and Levi chuckles, leaving to get ready for practice.  I really should get up too.  Everything is already prepared for tomorrow, but there are some last minute things that I should take care of.  I need to call Isabel to confirm that everything is ready to go, I should meet with my parents- maybe take them out to lunch- to make sure they know the plan for tomorrow, and pick up mine and Levi's tuxes from the tailor.

But I'm just _so tired_.  I can't muster the energy to even think about getting out of bed.  Another hour or two of sleep shouldn't hurt though, right?  The things I have to do today aren't that time consuming.  I should be able to get it all done in a few hours.  With that decision made, I relax back into the sheets and I don't even think Levi has finished getting dressed yet before I'm asleep again.

I wake what feels like only a couple of hours later feeling completely groggy and not entirely in control of my own limbs.  It's a monumental effort to shake the sleep from my head and pry an eye open to peer at the clock.  **3:08PM** greets my hazy gaze and I nearly bolt out of bed.  How the hell did I sleep in until three in the afternoon!?

The second I'm sitting upright, my head spins, my vision blurring for a moment.  I sit still as I wait for the vertigo to fade.  It does, but not entirely.  When I stand my limbs all still feel pretty heavy and my head is a little fuzzy.  I feel light headed and really... weak.  This has happened before, and it occurs about as often as my headaches, a little less often actually.  Fatigue and lethargy are both symptoms, and they seem to feed off of each other.  I almost never have one without the other.

I slowly stand from the bed and stretch, heading to the dresser to pull on a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt.  Hanji had scheduled me for an extra appointment two days ago, hoping that I would then be able to make it through my honeymoon in Europe before needing my next checkup.  She had told me that my tests were a little poor, but had dismissed it as a side effect of the stress of preparing to get married.  She had told me I should be fine through the wedding and honeymoon, but that she’d find me a specialist in the host city just in case I needed assistance.

But as I pull on my clothes I decide that I need to go back.  I want Hanji to check me over again and do whatever she can so that I'll be ready for tomorrow.  I pull out my phone as I make my way to the front room of Levi's apartment.  I see that I have a couple missed calls from my mom, Mikasa, and Isabel, but I ignore them for now.  I call my dad and put the phone to my ear as I lean my elbows against the kitchen bar.

 _"Dr. Jaeger,"_ he answers.

"Hey dad.  Are you busy right now?" I ask him.

 _"No,"_ he answers.  _"I'm with your mother and Isabel right now.  They're supervising the set up of the location.  But I don't think they need me here.  What's up?"_

"Would you mind picking me up from Levi's apartment and taking me to go see Hanji?"  Before he can start to question what's wrong, or if I'm bleeding, I quickly elaborate.  "I'm feeling really light headed and lethargic.  I just want to go see her."

 _"That's a good idea,"_ he says.  _"She'll be able to give you an extra injection, as well as a transfusion if she deems it necessary.  Have you taken your meds yet today?"_

"I'm doing it now," I tell him as I reach into the cupboard for a glass of water.  I pop the top from my pill bottle.  "I just woke up."

_"That bad, huh?  I'll be there in ten minutes.  What was the address again?"_

I read it off to him quickly.  "Thanks dad.  Oh, and don't tell mom.  You know that she'll just freak out and make a big deal out of nothing."

I hear him chuckle.  _"Don't worry, I will deceive your mother for you."_

"Thanks.  See you soon."

I hang up and pull a notepad and pen from a drawer on the bar.  Rather than leaving a text for Levi, I write him a note and leave it on the bar.  He's still at practice, and if sees a message from me saying that I went to the hospital, he's going to freak out and leave early.  It's not that big of a deal.  So using as non-emergency-ish vocabulary as I can, I tell him that I went to go see Hanji.  I be sure to add in plenty of 'don't worry's and 'I'm okay's.  I even put a smiley face at the bottom.

I send Hanji a text to tell her I'm on my way, and she replies almost immediately with an affirmation and a promise that she'll rearrange her schedule.  I'm heading into the elevator when another thought pops into my mind.  With a frustrated sigh I pull out my phone and send Levi a text asking if he could pick up the tuxes on his way home from practice.  I hate to do that to him, considering he has been working his ass off at practice all day and I spent it sleeping, but by the time I finish with Hanji, the tailors will be closed.

I reach the ground floor and wait in the small lobby of the building near the doors, watching for my dad's car.  When I see him pull up to the front, I drag my feet out of the building and into the passenger's seat.

"Other than the fatigue are you feeling okay?" he asks me as he pulls away from the curb.  "Any unusual bruising or swelling?  Joint pain?  Headaches?"

"No and no, no, and no.  I'm just so fucking tired," I reply, leaning my head back against the headrest and closing my eyes.

"Language," he says without any actual seriousness.  "But that's good.  It's probably just poor circulation.  Nothing that an increase in your meds won't fix.  I might ask Hanji to administer a transfusion though, just in case."

I nod, but don't open my eyes.

"Did you call Levi?"

"No.  I left him a note at the apartment though.  He's like mom, he likes to freak out.  I didn't want him leaving practice early and pissing off his coach."

"He's a good man," my dad comments.

"Mm," I hum in agreement.

We're silent the rest of the ride and I'm almost asleep again when my dad pulls up to the hospital and shakes my arm to rouse me.  I pry my eyes open and leave the car, following my dad into the hospital lobby where Hanji is waiting for us.

"So where are you bleeding and how badly, honey bunches?" she chirps.

“Not bleeding today,” I reassure her with a grin.

“He’s experiencing rather severe fatigue and lethargy,” my dad offers.  “I think all he needs is an additional dose of his medication.”

“Of course,” Hanji says with a smile.  “I’ll also put in an order for a transfusion.  Our emergency room has been crazy this afternoon though so it could be a while before it gets approved.”

“That’s okay, as long as I’m out of here by nine tomorrow morning.  I’ll get married in a hospital gown if I have to, I just need to get married tomorrow.”

Hanji chuckles as she leads us down the hall towards the elevator.  “Don’t worry, hun, we’ll have you out of here tonight.  You’ll be able to get married to the short-stack in your pretty little tux.”

Upstairs, she leads me to the very familiar corner of the hospital and a very familiar room.  Hanji has me change into a gown and I crawl up onto the bed.  When Hanji leaves to go get the injection, I lean my head back against the uncomfortable pillow and close my eyes.

“Oh no you don’t,” Hanji says, shaking my shoulder.  “You need to stay awake hun, you’ve slept long enough.”

I groan, but try to keep my eyes open anyway.  Hanji gives me the injection, then instructs my dad to keep me awake while she attends to other patients and waits for my transfusion order to come in.  My dad pulls a chair up to the side of the bed and immediately dives into wedding talk.  He tells me how the set up is going and how nice everything looks.  But he also asks enough questions to keep me talking and involved in the conversation so I don’t fall asleep.  And when he tells me to try and convince Levi to let him pay for at least half of the wedding, I just laugh.  We’ve had this conversation before.  My dad has had this conversation with Levi before.  That’s when he discovered just how stubborn Levi can be.

We’re in the room for about an hour, talking about literally everything from the wedding to the trial to school and to my budding art career.  It’s then that my phone starts to ring on the table with my clothes, and my dad stands to grab it for me.

“It’s your better half,” he smirks, handing me the phone.

“Uh oh,” I sing, taking the phone.  I quickly think of what to say to show him I’m okay before answering.  “Good afternoon, my love.  How was practice?”

 _“Are you okay?”_ he immediately asks, ignoring my question.

“I’m fine, I’m fine!” I reply lightly.  “Some of my symptoms were acting up so my dad brought me to Hanji to get it under control.  I’m okay, and I’ll be ready to marry you tomorrow morning.”

I hear his sigh on the other end.  At least he believes me when I say that I am okay.  Sometimes he doesn’t.   _“I’ll be there in a few okay?”_

“Okay, you can relieve my dad from keep-Eren-awake duty,” I snicker.

We hang up, and Levi arrives not fifteen minutes later.  Hanji still hasn’t come back with my transfusion yet, but I’m not expecting it any time soon.  There’s been days where I had waited over six hours for a transfusion.  If my situation is not an emergency, then I end up at the bottom of the waiting list, continuously getting bumped down when emergencies pop up.

When Levi arrives, my dad excuses himself to go down to the cafeteria and get food for the three of us.  Levi takes the seat my dad had previously been occupying and takes my hand.

“How do you feel?” he asks.

“Excited to get married to you tomorrow,” I answer.

He rolls his eyes.  “Not what I was looking for but acceptable.”

“I’m okay.  I woke up at three and I was just so tired,” I whine.  “And I felt really weak.  They’re both symptoms, so I figured I should get it under control before the wedding.”

“We’re going to be gone for six weeks in Europe,” Levi says, a hint of worry coloring his voice.  “Will you be okay to be gone for that long?  I don’t want anything to go wrong five thousand miles from home.”

“Not to worry, short-stack!” Hanji assures him as she enters the room carrying a bag of thick crimson.  She moves over to my IV stand and starts hooking up the bag.  “I’m giving Eren an increased dose of his medication to last him the time he’s gone, and I googled the city the World Cup is being held in and found a hematologist in a nearby hospital.  I’ve sent him a referral and he agreed to take you on if you need any help while you’re there.  I’ll give both of you his number.  His English is passable, but his assistant is fluent and she assured me she’d assist if necessary.  Don’t worry, short-stack, I got you guys covered.”

Levi nods and looks relieved.  He squeezes my hand and I offer him a smile.  Hanji finishes hooking up the bag to my arm and then checks my vitals.

“How are you feeling now, kid?  Better?  More awake?” she asks me.

“Yeah I am actually.  I’m still a little tired but I don’t feel like I’m about to fall asleep,” I tell her.

“Good!” she smiles.  “Once the transfusion finishes, I’ll hold you for another hour, then you’ll be free to leave and get ready to get married.”

“Perfect,” I reply with a smile of my own.

…

My heart is racing as I walk down the aisle, my arm tightly looped with Levi’s. The smile on my face is almost painful, but I can’t make it go away. This is the happiest day of my life after all. My eyes scan the crowds, and I’m easily able to pick out all my friends. Everyone was able to make it, and each one are in varying stages of happiness, with Armin, Krista, Bert, and Sasha in tears. My parents are in the front row, and my mom is also crying. I smile at her and she sniffles into a handkerchief, but smiles back.

At the altar, Levi releases my arm and we turn to face each other. An excited giggle threatens to bubble out of me, but I manage to force it down as I stare into the beautiful blue eyes of the love of my life. In a few short minutes he’ll be my husband, and we’ll be tied to one another for the rest of our lives.

All of the guests take their seats as the officiant begins the ceremony. I’m too excited, my ears ringing a little too loud, to really hear what the man is saying. I know that he’s speaking but the words don’t really register in my ears. The soft look in Levi’s eyes though, the smile that pulls at his lips, and the way he holds my hands gently but securely in his… it keeps me grounded and focused on what’s happening around us right now. It would be so easy otherwise for me to completely forget where we are and what we’re doing, to get lost in the moment.

I don’t know how Levi can appear so calm when I’m standing here about to leap out of my shoes. My hands are shaking, but his feel so steady. Is he as nervous and excited as I am, but just better at hiding it? He has had many years under the celebrity spotlight to learn how to control his nerves, but this isn’t exactly another match. As I stare into his eyes as we read our vows though, I know that he’s nervous too. Or maybe just excited. I can see the passion burning in the depth of his gaze. Maybe this is the happiest day of _his_ life too.

When the officiant announces us married, all our friends and family cheer, and Levi leans in to press a kiss to my lips. Well I did it! I survived my wedding, and now I’m the luckiest husband to ever exist in the history of husbands. When Levi breaks off the kiss, that excited giggle decides it’s no longer going to be contained. Levi responds with an endearing smile, and takes my hand as he leads me away from the altar.

The reception is a loud and joyous affair, and I easily allow myself to get swept up in it. My mother pulls me into a teary dance and tells me how happy and proud she is of me. She says that she couldn’t have hoped for me to find a better man than Levi, and the sentiment almost puts _me_ in tears. After our dance, Mikasa steps in.

“Mom is already a crying mess, you better not cry too,” I tell her with a teasing smirk.

“I’m not about to cry!” she retorts, punching me in the arm. “I am happy for you Eren. I know how much the shorty means to you.”

I let the insult slide, knowing it to be a teasing joke. I can hear the affection in her voice and know that she means what she says. I never imagined, when I first realized that I was attracted to men, that I’d ever get such overwhelming approval and support from my family. I always had faith in Mikasa’s support, considering how close we were as children. I’m pretty sure that if I told her I was attracted to purple aliens with five legs and one eye, she would’ve supported me. Well maybe that’s a little too much of an exaggeration, but still. Either way, it had always been my parents I worried about, mainly my father. But as I look over Mikasa’s shoulder to see my dad talking with Levi, a smile on his face, I’m nearly overwhelmed.

I dance next with Sasha, then with Hanji. Hanji appears to be as excited as I am, only Hanji can’t seem to contain it as I can. She’s talking a mile a minute, and her dancing is probably two whole beats faster than the tempo of the song. But I laugh with her as she whips me around the dance floor. Armin eventually- after two songs- works up the courage to cut in on Hanji, and after I’ve danced with every single one of my friends, and even some of Levi’s team members, Levi finally _finally_ steps in.

“Mind if I have this dance,” he asks of Farlan as the song comes to an end.

“I don’t know,” Farlan says, his voice holding a teasing tone. “This is quite a cutie I found here. I’m not sure I can let him go.”

Levi shoots him a look and I laugh as Farlan steps back, his hands raised in surrender. There’s a smile on his face though as Levi takes my hand, his other snaking around my waist. He pulls me in close and my heart leaps in my chest. I vaguely wonder if I will ever stop having this kind of reaction every time Levi touches me, but hope that I don’t.

“I was wondering when you’d come back,” I say as he leads me into a slow dance.

“I wasn’t far,” he assures me. “And I was enjoying watching you dance with your friends.”

“I was kind of hoping you’d step in on Hanji,” I tell him with a chuckle. “But Armin had to be the brave soldier and do it.”

He laughs as he spins me around the dance floor. “Are you having fun?” he suddenly asks me, and I pull away from him just enough to look him in the eye.

“What kind of dumb question is that?” I reply. “Of course I’m having fun. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy in my entire life.”

A relieved and affectionate smile pulls at his lips and he murmurs, “I’m glad,” before leaning in to press his lips to mine.

It takes an absolutely tremendous effort to pull away from those lips. But the damage is already done and I lean in to whisper in Levi’s ear. “How much longer do you think we have to hang around here before we can sneak away?”

Levi must be feeling the same heat I am because the seductive smirk he shoots me should be illegal. “I think we’ve stuck around long enough.”

We quickly make our rounds, thanking everyone for coming. It takes much longer than I had hoped it would, especially with my mother, who pulls me into a hug and refuses to let go for a solid two minutes. But eventually we manage to leave the building and make our way towards Levi’s car. We almost don’t make it into the bedroom of Levi’s loft, our hands and mouths greedy and impatient. We start shedding our tuxes just out of the elevator, and leave a trail leading all the way to the bed.

My back hits the bed and Levi is quick to follow me onto it, his lips connecting back with mine. His tongue traces my lower lip and I let him in. I can feel his hands firm along my sides and arms and I shiver at his touch. I lift my own my hands to run them down his abs, across his stomach and to his hard cock. His hand wraps around mine, pulling it away from his erection.

“Slow down,” he breathes against my lips. “We have all the time in the world.”

My breath hitches and a shiver runs down my spine. The weight of that sentence plays heavily on my heart. It’s true. I mean… it’s been true for months. Really, ever since Levi proposed, I knew he’d be here with me forever. But now, it’s true. There was always the possibility that he would change his mind and back out. Now he can’t. Now we’re married. So Levi is right. We have the rest of our lives to be together.

The impatient, greedy heat turns into slow, passionate love. Levi’s hands are soft and gentle as he caresses every inch of my body. His lips follow his fingers as he worships my skin. He takes extra care over the permanent bruises and scars marring the creases of my elbows from countless transfusions and injections. He presses soft kisses to each bruise, even adding some more across my collarbones and neck. When he finally turns his attention to the heat between my legs, he doesn’t pick up the pace. He takes a torturous amount of time teasing my cock and easing me open. Every movement of his hands, his fingers, his lips, and his cock as he slides into me, is so full of love and passion.

As Levi makes love to me, I can’t help but think about how much our relationship has changed since it began. Our relationship started as sex, nothing more, nothing less. And the sex was nothing like it is now. It was rough and mechanical and kinky- not that Levi isn’t still incredibly kinky sometimes- but there had been no feeling, no emotion behind it. It was solely for the purpose of getting laid. But now, there’s so much else there that I can’t even begin to describe it all. It’s like I’ve released Levi from the mask he had forced himself to hide behind, one that after so long had just become who he was. He is still the same man that I idolized, had a fortunate encounter with, and fell in love with. Only now, Levi is able to return all of my feelings and then some. And the sex is even better than it ever had been because of it.

Levi and I make love to each other for hours, very thoroughly enjoying our first night as a married couple. Our flight to Europe tomorrow isn’t until the early afternoon, so we have plenty of time to sleep in and pack before we leave. When the both of us have finally had our fill, we simply lay in each others’ arms. Neither of us says a word, but we don’t have to. It’s all already been said. Levi’s fingers play with the two bands on my left ring finger, spinning them around and tracing over the gems of my engagement ring. I’m almost asleep, having been lulled by the steady beat of Levi’s heart beneath my ear, when Levi breaks the silence.

“What did I ever do to deserve you?” he breathes, his voice barely audible despite the dead silence of the early morning hours.

“I should be asking you that,” I murmur in response.

I can feel him smile into my hair as his arms shift to hold me tightly against him. In the warmth of his embrace, and to the steady rhythm of his breaths, I finally fall asleep.

…

The next day is a flurry of activity and excitement. Isabel is coming to the World Cup with us, having managed to convince her agency that her most important client needed her to accompany him. She stops by the flat an hour before we need to leave, with Mike in tow. We all eat lunch together as Isabel and I exchange excited conversation. Levi and I finish packing our bags, and we hit the road.

The flight is long and boring, but when we land in Amsterdam, it’s go go go again. Isabel takes us to our hotel to check in, and Levi tells me that I can stay in the room if I’d like while he and Mike go to meet the team, but I decide that I’d much rather go with them. Meeting the team seems pretty exciting, and I’m too giddy to just sit around in the room for an hour or however long it takes.

Our rooms- with the exception of Isabel’s- were reserved for us by Team USA. Isabel explains that the whole team is being hosted here, and that any team meetings that aren’t going to be held at the field will be held here in the hotel conference room, including this meet-up. Our flight was the last one of the teams’ to get in, so the meet-up had been scheduled for right after our arrival. I’m a little nervous when I follow Levi, Mike, and Isabel into the conference room, but it fades when I see I’m not the only non team member present. I see a couple of wives, even a handful of children, and one player has a younger man with him that looks exactly like him. A brother maybe? It seems that Levi and I weren’t the only ones that decided to make a family vacation out of this event.

As the four of us join the others and take our seats, an older man stands. He must be the coach. “I want to thank all of you for accepting our invitation and joining Team USA this year. Every single one of you showed incredible talent and skill during your MLS season this year, and we are honored to have you here to play for your country.”

I zone out as the coach continues his speech, introducing himself and his staff, then launching into practice and match schedules and such. Instead I glance around the room at the rest of the team. I recognize a lot of the players from their MLS teams, and it suddenly hits me how exciting it is to be sitting in a room with America’s best soccer players. Forget that I’m married to one of them, this is really fucking exciting. And, over the next few weeks, I’ll be able to watch every single one of their practices and matches. This is probably the best honeymoon a soccer fan could ever have wished for, and I’m here with my once idol and now husband, Levi Ackerman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the wedding was probably disappointing to all of you that were really excited for it, but the simple fact is that apparently I can't write weddings. The rest of the chapter was finished a long time ago, I just couldn't figure out how to write the wedding XP
> 
> So I hate to say it, but there's only going to be one more chapter. There MIGHT be two, but expect the next one to be the last one :(


	39. A Bitter Sweet End to the World Cup!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not going super deep into the dynamics of the World Cup, but just so you can follow along: the initial 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four called ‘stage groups’. Those four teams all play each other, and the two teams that do the best advance to the next stage, or the bracket play. At that point its single elimination where winners play winners until there is a final winner.
> 
> So in honor of this smutfest of a fic coming to an end, enjoy a little more smut in the last chapter. I just couldn’t help myself. It wouldn’t have been a true FotP ending without it XD

**Eren**

The roar of the crowd is loud in my ears, a familiar sound that I haven’t heard in quite a while. I missed that sound, and now I find that I’m really looking forward to the start of the next MLS season when I get to watch Levi and the Scouts rise though the ranks again. But right now, there are other matches I need to focus on.

The United States had been placed in Group E, with Uruguay, Italy, and Japan. Currently, the United States is playing Uruguay, and with only a few minutes left in the match, it looks like the United States will win. And with the other five matches of the group stage already finished, it looks like the United States and Italy will advance to bracket play of the World Cup.

Levi had been taking it a little easy during the group stage matches in order to not strain his ankle too much before the more difficult matches begin. He hadn’t had any problems with his ankle during the training before coming to Europe, but now that they’re playing so many matches in such quick succession, Levi is holding back in order to last through to bracket play. At least, that’s what I’m assuming, because he’s definitely not playing at one hundred percent.

Levi dribbles the ball up the center field, passing it off to his left winger. The soccer ball pinballs back and forth between Levi and his other four forwards as they drive it down the field. The ball makes it back in front of Levi, and a quick, complicated spin that makes my breath catch has him at the goal with no one but the goal keeper in the way. In the blink of an eye, Levi positions the ball, plants his left foot, then launches the ball through the air and by the goal keeper’s outstretched fingertips. It slams into the back of the net and the stadium roars. I cheer as loud as I can, applauding for my husband- it’s been two weeks but the word still sends my heart into an excited flutter- and his team.

The ball is set back into play, but with only forty seconds left in the match and the score four to one in favor of the United States, all they have to do is keep the ball away from Uruguay until the buzzer sounds. And that’s exactly what they do. The United States manages to keep Uruguay in their half of the field, and when the end of the match is signaled by the buzzer, the team celebrates. They’ll be moving on to the round of sixteen.

I’ve learned by now that following all the matches and practices, the team always takes at _least_ an hour to meet and discuss… well, whatever it is they discuss. On their way to the locker room, Levi finds me sitting in the front row and offers me a wink and blows a kiss. The scream of a bunch of girls right behind me scares the shit out of me, and Levi laughs as he jogs towards the locker room with the rest of his team.

I hurry from the stands, pushing my way through the heavy crowds. Once Levi finishes his meeting, I know he’ll want to celebrate. So I rush back to our hotel room to get myself ready to celebrate with my husband.

 

**Levi**

The after-the-match meeting takes longer than it did the last couple times, but two hours later I’m stepping off the elevator onto my floor. I know Eren is waiting for me in the room, and I’m eager to be with him. The adrenaline rush from the win is still flowing through me, despite a cold shower and a two hour long meeting. A smile is pulling at my lips as I key open the door and enter the hotel room.

“Sorry it took so long, babe, the coach-”

As I step into the room, Eren whips around with wide eyes, his head tilted back slightly and a wad of tissues pressed to nose. “Don’t freak out,” he tells me immediately, his tone slightly nasally from the firm press of the tissues.

“What happened?” I ask him as I cross the room towards him.

“It’s just a nosebleed!” he laughs, tipping his head back all the way as he tries to brush me off.

I immediately put my bag on the dresser and rifle through it for my phone. “I’m calling that doctor.”

“No!” he argues, snatching the phone out of my hand. “It only started about five minutes ago and…” he pulls the tissue away from his nose and we both hold our breath as we wait. Despite his nose being covered in red, I can tell that it’s not bleeding anymore and I breathe a sigh of relief. “… see? Nothing to worry about. I’m fine!”

I stare at him a moment longer, watching to see if the bleeding starts up again. But with no signs of bleeding, I nod and head into the bathroom to wet a towel. Eren sits on the bed as I clean up his face with the towel. It’s only then, after the initial panic has died down, that I notice what he’s wearing. I had never considered myself a panty guy, but seeing Eren in a lacy black thong that hugs his cock perfectly makes me second guess that consideration.

I only realize that I’m staring when Eren’s hand pulls the towel from my own. When I snap my eyes up to his face, he’s smirking. He tosses the towel onto the ground and pushes me back onto the bed, swinging a leg over my waist to straddle me.

“Do you like them? I was a little nervous about them, but I’m sensing some positive vibes,” he teases, his voice a murmur as he leans over me to trail his lips along my neck. “They were a wedding present from Hanji, so you’ll have to thank her if you like them.”

I wrap my arms around his waist and roll us over so he’s on his back. His smile grows and I quickly cover it with a deep kiss. His hands pull at my shirt and I let him remove it. I let my fingers trail down his stomach to the soft lace, hooking a finger under the band and running it along to his hip.

“I’ll definitely be thanking her when we get back,” I say into his chest.

“I’m just glad we didn’t open the wedding presents in front of my parents. There were some other very… provocative things in that box,” Eren tells me with a giggle. “I think my mom would’ve fainted.”

I smile into his stomach, continuing to trail kisses lower and lower. My lips find the lace and hover over the growing bulge there. Eren inhales sharply as I run my tongue up the shaft of his cock, over the top of the panties. His hands fist in the sheets and I can feel his hips shaking from fighting the urge to buck them up into my tongue. I mouth at the head before pulling the band down to release his flushed cock. I don’t remove the thong though before taking him in my mouth. I’d like to leave those on as long as possible.

Eren moans loudly, one hand coming up to fist in my hair. A hard suck on his cock turns his moan into a sharp gasp. I take a long time teasing his cock, drawing it out until the precise moment I feel he’s about to come, then I stop. He whines, but I quiet him with a deep, tongue delving kiss as I fumble through the drawer of the nightstand for the lube. Once my fingers are adequately slicked, I slide them down to his entrance. Pulling the thin strap of the thong aside, I circle his entrance, then push inside. His breath hitches, and he slowly exhales with a moan into the kiss.

After I’ve thoroughly prepped him, I kick out of my shorts and run some lube over my aching cock. Eren moves his arms to wrap them around my neck. He buries his face into the crook of my neck, sucking at my skin as I position myself between his legs. I slowly push into him, a moan of my own leaving my lips as his tight heat envelops me.

“I love you,” he pants, his fingers digging into my shoulders.

“You are my world,” I breathe in response.

I thrust deep into him and he gasps. His gasps turns into moans as I find my rhythm, thrusting in and out of him. His soft noises of pleasure fill the room and are music to my ears. I’ve heard a lot of wonderful noises in my life, like the wild cheers of a full stadium, the loud ring of a buzzer when my team has just won a match, the song Eren and I had our first dance to at our wedding…. But the sounds of Eren’s pleasured moaning as I make love to him tops the list.

“A-Ah Levi!” Eren cries, his body arching into mine. “I’m… I’m going to come!”

I thrust hard into him once more before he releases across his stomach. I can feel my own orgasm approaching and I mash my lips into Eren’s, my thrusts losing all semblance of a rhythm and I ride Eren through his orgasm and quickly into my own.

We lay beside each other, Eren’s head resting on my bicep and his finger tracing over my abs, as we both come down from our bliss.

“How’s your ankle?” he suddenly asks, his fingers stilling as he looks up at me.

I stare back for a moment, trying to figure out where that question even came from. “What?” I finally ask.

“You were favoring it,” he says. “All three matches, you were favoring your ankle. It isn’t still hurting you is it?”

“I was not favoring it,” I argue.

He lifts himself up onto an elbow, looking down at me with a raised eyebrow. “You totally were,” he insists. “I’ve been watching your matches religiously since you were recruited into the Scouts out of college. I know how you play like the back of my hand. You’re a… charge-in-head-first kinda guy. You don’t hold back. You go all out. And if there was ever a time to go all out, it’s now, on the world stage. But you weren’t. You weren’t pushing yourself. I was wondering if it was because of your ankle. It reminds me of how you were playing in practices after the initial injury.”

Now that he points it out, I realize that he might be right. Maybe I wasn’t leaving everything out on that field like I thought I had been. I hadn’t been as tired as I usually am while stepping off the field after a full match. I hadn’t even realized I was doing it. “My ankle isn’t bothering me. It’s not even hurting. I’ll make sure to give it my all in two days when we make Germany really work for their win.”

He smacks me on the arm with a disapproving look before laying back down, pillowing his head on my chest. I move closer to him, pulling him into me with an arm wrapped around his waist. “Don’t just assume you’ll lose because you’re playing Germany. If you guys really work hard, then… you might… have a chance…”

He starts giggling in the middle of his sentence, and I can’t help but laugh with him. “There’s no way we’re going to win. But I will give it my all. I promise you,” I murmur into his hair.

“Good,” he hums, his fingers walking up my abs to my chest. “Besides, the more effort you put into the matches, the more… vigorous you are after, and the better the sex is.”

I pull back to look at him with a raised eyebrow. “Are you saying I didn’t satisfy you tonight?”

“No I did not say that,” he answers immediately, pushing himself up to straddle my waist. His member is growing hard and hot against my stomach. “I’m just saying you have this… excited energy after your more intense matches. It’s like the more into the matches you get, the more into the sex you are. I don’t know babe, it’s hard to explain.”

I wrap my arms around the small of his back and sit up, pulling his chest flush against mine, rolling my hips into his so he can feel my growing erection. “I feel like I need to redeem my manhood,” I growl into his neck.

He exhales sharply. “You have nothing to redeem! But I definitely wouldn’t mind you trying.”

...

I shake out my arms and roll my head on my shoulders one more time as I stand with the rest of the team just inside the tunnel to the locker room. The announcers are announcing the start of the round of sixteen, and this particular match. They’re announcing Germany right now, and across the field, I can see the white and black of their uniforms entering the field. Once Germany is on the field, the announcers begin to announce us, and I follow the captain and the rest of the team out of the tunnel and onto the field to join the German team.

After the greeting and sportsmanship crap, and the teams are instructed to take their positions on the field, I glance over to the stands, looking for Eren. I see him in his regular seat in the front row, his camera gripped tightly in one hand and waving at me with the other. I smile, then focus back on the match that’s about to start.

The German team is a force to be reckoned with. They always have been. Aside from Brazil, they have the most World Cup titles of any other participating country, and the United States has yet to win a single title. The United States has yet to even make it to the final round. But aside from this knowledge that every one of my team members know, aside from the very high possibility of failure weighing on all our heads, every one of us plays with everything we have. We don’t leave a single doubt, a single regret out on that field. Despite the likelihood of failure, we give it our all and leave no ‘what if’s to wonder on in the future.

The German team doesn’t make our effort easy though. They’re an incredibly powerful team, with individual and team skill levels that shouldn’t be possible. Every time I think I’ve managed to break through their defense, I’m stopped last minute before I can make an attempt or before I can receive a pass. As the ninety minutes of the match comes nearer and nearer to the end, I’ve managed the only attempt for the United States, which resulted in a failure, and Germany has racked up three goals. It was expected from the beginning, but now it’s becoming apparent the results of this match. We’re not going to win. But none of us get disheartened. None of us give up. We all plow forward at full strength, with one hundred and ten percent determination, and just before the final buzzer sounds, a well aimed pass from my right winger lines me up perfectly for an attempt on goal that manages to sail past the outstretched fingers of the goal keeper and into the back of the net.

The celebration that flairs up amongst my team could easily be mistaken for the celebration of a winning team. Despite our three to one loss against Germany, a score that knocks us out of the running for the World Cup and sends back to our home country with our hands empty, we’re excited that at least we made Germany work for their advancement. At least we gave everything we had. There are no regrets, there are no doubts, there are no pained ‘what if’s. We left everything out on that field, and we know it. And we even managed to get a goal off of the German team before the end. And that’s enough for us.

The team all gathers on the sidelines as the coach talks us down and we prepare to move our team meeting to the locker room. Not a single tear is shed, and for the most part only smiles can be found on the faces of my teammates. We tried our best and we know it, so there’s nothing to be upset over.

“I’m proud of you,” the coach starts by saying. “Every single one of you. You played better against them than I could’ve ever hoped for.”

Nods circle around the group, all of us agreeing with what the coach is saying. The coach opens his mouth to continue, but then hesitates and dismisses whatever he had been about to say with the wave of his hand.

“Let’s take this into the locker room. I can hardly hear myself think out here.”

We follow him into the locker room and circle around for the rest of his speech. It’s a lot of ‘thank you’s, and a lot of him expressing how proud he is and what an honor it was to work with us. He tells us that he couldn’t have picked a better team than this one, and that he hopes to see us all again in future World Cups. After a heartfelt round of hugs and high fives and many competitive remarks concerning the upcoming MLS season, the team is dismissed and disperses throughout the locker room to take showers and pack up their things.

Mike’s locker is next to mine, and we start to pack up our things in silence before Mike breaks it.

“Are you heading straight home?” he asks.

“No, Eren and I will stay here another week or two, however long we feel like. We haven’t done hardly any sightseeing yet, and I know Eren is excited too.” I laugh at my next thought. “This hasn’t been much of a honeymoon yet, so I need to do something to turn that around before I take him home.”

“I don’t know about that,” Mike argues, pausing in his packing to look at me. “You do remember how the two of you met, right? You met at a Scouts match. Him as a huge fan of yours. You don’t think he loves that his honeymoon was a couple of weeks at the World Cup?”

It’s my turn to pause as I think over Mike’s words. I hadn’t even considered that, but he’s right. I know how much of a soccer fan Eren is, and that he must be more than enjoying having front row seats to all of these World Cup matches.

“I guess you’re right…” I murmur.

“Of course I am. Your entire relationship started at a soccer event, and now your marriage is too. I think that’s something Eren will cherish and appreciate for the rest of your lives together.” Mike closes his locker and turns to face me with a smile. “I’m not trying to talk you out of staying in Europe a little longer, I think that’s a great idea to go see new things, but I just don’t want you undervaluing what you gave your husband by bringing him to the World Cup for your honeymoon.”

I offer an appreciative smile and a nod to Mike, grateful for his assuring words. He hitches his bag over his shoulder and starts to leave the locker room.

“I’ll see you stateside, Levi. I’ll see you at Trost Stadium, ready to kick ass and win ourselves another title,” he calls over his shoulder.

I smirk, a competitive determination washing over me. But before then, there’s still a lot of time. The season won’t start for another couple months, and in the meantime, I have a new marriage that I need to focus on and explore. The nature of my smile shifts as I finish packing up my things and close up my locker.

Eren is waiting outside the locker room, in the nearly completely emptied stadium, and he smiles as he sees me emerge from the tunnel. He reaches out a hand and I take it eagerly in mine. Mike’s words are still ringing in my ears, and I look out onto the empty soccer field. When I first picked up a soccer ball as a freshman in high school, I had no idea that it would eventually bring me here. Not only to the world stage, but with the hand of the man I love more than I ever thought possible tucked into my own. It didn’t just bring me a stable career and a life of fame. It brought me so much more than that. I squeeze Eren’s hand in mine, feeling the metal of the wedding band on his ring finger, the symbol of my love for him.

“You ready to go?” he asks me, that dazzling smile pulling at his lips.

I nod, taking the lead as I lead him off the field and into the rest of our life.

“Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that’s it guys, that’s the end. I almost can’t believe this fic is over. After fifteen months and 180k+ words, I feel like I’m ending a huge part of my life. This is by far the most time I’ve spent on a single fic, and it is 60k longer than any other fic I’ve ever wrote, so it’s kind of a relief that I was able to make it through to the end and finish it. Phew! I know updates were rocky and slow towards the end, but I’m so grateful to all of you who stuck around to see this through to the end. I love you guys. Anywho, I won’t make this more emotional or dragged out than it needs to be, so thank you to everyone who read this fic! And a special thanks to those who left encouraging comments, whether here or on tumblr. Hope to see all of you in any future fics!
> 
> You can always still find me on tumblr at [titaneren-jaeger](http://titaneren-jaeger.tumblr.com/)


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